With financial support from Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) and the University of Ottawa, in partnership with the Association canadienne de langue française (Canadian French-language association), will carry out a research project on the shortage of teachers in French-language schools in minority settings in Canada.
“The federal government funding will help us get a better grasp of the causes of the teacher shortage and make concrete recommendations with our community partners,” explained CTF President H. Mark Ramsankar. “The purpose of this pan-Canadian study is to determine what measures to take at different levels to alleviate, or even eliminate, the shortage.”
According to a 2017 CTF survey of French-language school boards in minority settings, the shortage of staff qualified to teach in French is all too real. The problem was highlighted at the 105th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, in June 2017.
The research project will begin in April 2018 and the conclusions will be released between March and August 2019. The research team will be contacting the various levels of government involved in training and retaining teachers in Canada and CTF Member Organizations in order to take the pulse of the various regions. Community organizations that would like to partner with the CTF on the project are invited to call Sara Lafrance, Acting Director, Francophonie Program, at 613-465-4308 or to write her at slafrance@ctf-fce.ca.
Founded in 1920, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation is a non-profit organization and a national alliance of provincial and territorial Member organizations that represent over 238,000 teachers across Canada. The CTF is an active partner in advocating the full respect of the right of Francophones to quality education. The Francophonie Program strives to support teachers in French-language schools in minority settings and to intervene on their behalf with national partners.
Information: Sara Lafrance, Acting Director, Francophonie Program, 613-465-4308
Contact: Francine Filion, Director of Communications, 613-688-4314