Canada’s teachers say ongoing shortage creating ‘crisis’ What’s behind it?

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville recently confirmed the province was lacking more than 8,500 teachers, with 1,859 full-time and 6,699 part-time positions unfilled.

Students across Canada have begun a new school year, but even as they crack open their books teachers and those who represent them are raising concerns there’s still not enough being done to fix ongoing teachers shortages from coast to coast to coast.

The shortages vary from province to territory. Some like Nova Scotia say most full-time roles are filled but they’re having issue in terms of substitute teachers. In the north, Nunavut is reporting a nine- to 10-per cent vacancy rate at the beginning of the school year, and while some schools are fully staffed, other communities are struggling.

And in Quebec two weeks ago, Education Minister Bernard Drainville confirmed that with school just around the corner, the province was lacking 1,859 full-time teachers and 6,699 part-time — coming to a total of 8,558 teachers missing.

Teachers say that variation has an impact on what they can provide to students and in the case of those who help some of the most vulnerable, like those with disabilities or who otherwise benefit from support, that support may not be as available.

Gurpreet Kaur Bains, a high school learning support and languages teacher in British Columbia, said the drop in the number of teachers has meant educators like herself are being shifted around to fill the spaces that are unfilled in other classrooms. But as a result, the focus she would normally pay to individual students is lost.

“Basically kids with IEPs (individual education plans) who have specific needs and some of them really need that support on a daily basis do not get it,” she told Global News on Tuesday.

She said when they are “short-bodied” in the classroom, other teachers, librarians, special education teachers and even counsellors will be asked to go into another person’s classroom to fill in. She added that the lack of resources is leading to mental health issues and burnout among teachers, calling it a “crisis situation.”

It’s just one such issue facing schools in the country.