Since the start of the school year, 45 teachers have resigned in the Quebec region, TVA Nouvelles learned through the Access to Information Act, evidence that staff retention is still a problem in the capital.
Of these permanent, contract or occasional teachers, 14 worked at the Navigateurs school service center on the south coast, 11 at the Capitale school service center, seven at Découvreurs, seven at Premières-Seigneuries and six at the Centrale Québec school board.
“It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s early in the year to leave the country,” says Simon Viviers, a professor at the Ministry of Education.
This expert sees a connection between his resignations and the workload of teachers, especially related to struggling students.
“When we arrive at the beginning of the year, we discover our class and sometimes we just can’t do it because the class is too difficult,” he says.
Of the teachers who resigned, the vast majority had not yet reached retirement. In fact, more than half of them, 56%, started their careers with 5 years of service or less. 24% had been with the company between 5 and 15 years and 20% had been with the company for more than 15 years.
“It is not true to say that it is easier to teach these difficult classes when you have more experience,” emphasizes Mr. Viviers
For the 2 Rives union, which represents several teachers in the Quebec region, the outcome of these collective bargaining negotiations will have a major impact on the future careers of several teachers.
In the Office of the Minister of Education we say that we are fully aware of the difficult task of teachers and at the same time reiterate that the government, in its offers to the unions, proposes to include 4,000 classroom assistants in the education network.
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