More than 1 in 4 Quebec teachers are not legally qualified

Quebec -

Quebec's auditor general says more than one-quarter of teachers who worked in the province's classrooms during the 2020-21 school year weren't legally qualified.

Guylaine Leclerc presented her annual report today, revealing that more than 30,000 people who taught in schools during that period did not earn a teaching certificate or a provisional qualification.

The Quebec government has said it turns to uncertified people to teach in schools because of a shortage of qualified teachers.

Leclerc says the province needs a concrete plan to address the teacher shortage, which she says is leading to a decline in the quality of education.

Leclerc's wide-ranging annual report also found that 73 per cent of contracts issued by regional health authorities between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2022, were awarded without a public tender.

She says that figure does not include contracts issued under the COVID-19 state of emergency.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on May 25, 2023.