Two weeks into the school year, there are still more than 1,000 vacant teaching positions in Quebec public schools, while school service centers are openly recruiting retired teachers.
According to the latest information from the Ministry of Education, there are still 1,032 apprenticeship positions to be filled in the school network, including 174 regular full-time positions.
This is an improvement from the previous week when the number was 1,331.
To meet demand, schools are turning directly to retired teachers.
In Montérégie, the Grandes-Seigneurie service center has published a tender aimed specifically at retired teachers for contracts and replacement needs in almost all subjects, from kindergarten to secondary school. The teaching certificate is required.
The service center has chosen to target teachers who are not former employees to “make it easier to find jobs for those who are not necessarily familiar with how we work,” explains its spokeswoman Hélène Dumais.
However, such targeted recruitment is not a means of reducing the use of unqualified teachers, “especially since the number of interested retirees is not yet significant,” she continues.
Since June, only one pensioner has volunteered to offer his services to the Grandes-Seigneuries, says Ms. Dumais.
Given the shortage, Quebec has renewed financial incentives for another year to convince retired teachers to come back and help the school network.
Those returning to service will now receive the same rate as when they left teaching, rather than the usual pension rate, with no reduction in their retirement benefits.
The Federation of Education Unions (FSE-CSQ) estimates that most educational institutions are “targeting retired teachers”.
“Often those who come forward come out of solidarity, to support their home environment or their school, but the task is often too difficult and, unfortunately, does not represent an incentive for many of them,” says its president Josée Scalabrini.
According to the Ministry of Education, almost 2,900 retired teachers in the school network came to substitute work last year, four times more than the previous year.
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.