Quebec Faces Shortfall of Over 4,000 Teachers Ahead of School Year

Quebec’s education system is preparing to start the new school year with a staggering shortfall of **4,115 teaching positions** still to be filled. With just over two weeks remaining before classes begin, Education Minister **Bernard Drainville** confirmed the situation during a press conference on Thursday. He noted that **96 percent** of classrooms would have a teacher, suggesting that both **French school service centres** and **English-language school boards** are actively working to recruit the remaining educators.

Last year, the province faced a deficit of approximately **6,000 teachers**, while the previous year saw a peak of **8,500** vacancies. Drainville expressed optimism about the improvements, stating, “It’s good news, first for the students, then the parents and obviously for the school teams and teachers.” He attributed the year-over-year progress to a **two-year-old agreement** with unions that mandates earlier assignments for teachers.

Challenges Persist in Teacher Recruitment

Despite these advancements, Drainville acknowledged that the education system in Quebec continues to face significant challenges. For instance, he disclosed that about **10 percent** of incoming teachers lack a teaching diploma. Nevertheless, he clarified that at least half of these individuals possess a bachelor’s degree in relevant subjects, such as **French, English, history, chemistry,** or **math**.

The president of the **Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers**, **Heidi Yetman**, raised concerns about hiring unqualified personnel. “One in 10 teachers in Quebec is not a teacher,” she stated, emphasizing that such individuals should not be referred to as teachers. While acknowledging their willingness to step into classrooms, Yetman pointed out that unqualified staff can place additional pressure on qualified teachers and negatively impact student learning outcomes.

She further criticized the notion of a teacher shortage, describing it instead as a “retention and recruitment crisis.” Yetman highlighted that **20 to 30 percent** of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years, attributing this trend to poor working conditions and inadequate resources.

The recent announcement of **$570 million** in budget cuts to the education sector has added to these concerns. Yetman argued that attributing the province’s deficit to education is misguided. Although the government later allocated **$540 million** back to the education budget, it imposed conditions on this funding.

Support Staff Recruitment Ongoing

In addition to the shortfall in teaching positions, the number of vacancies for support staff—including special education technicians, speech therapists, and school psychologists—remains uncertain. Drainville indicated that recruitment efforts for these roles are ongoing, with more data expected to be released by the end of August.

As the new academic year approaches, the situation in Quebec’s education system reveals a complex mix of achievements and persistent challenges. While the filling of teaching positions has improved compared to previous years, substantial work remains to ensure that all classrooms are staffed with qualified professionals able to deliver effective education to students across the province.