Unqualified teachers to be trained in September: unions in favour, but with caveats

The raises the province is offering education workers in a proposed four-year deal aren't enough to keep up with the cost of living, the union representing public high school teachers said Thursday. A grade two classroom is shown in this Monday, September 14, 2020 file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The fast track for non-legally qualified teachers who want to further their education is taking shape, with TÉLUQ University set to receive its first cohort of candidates in the fall.

TÉLUQ says it will offer a 30-credit "100 per cent distance learning" Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées, which is aimed at practicing preschool and elementary school teachers who hold a bachelor's degree but are not currently legally qualified to teach.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville welcomed the move, after announcing in January that he wanted to develop a fast-track route to teacher certification.

Quebec has resorted to hiring non-legally qualified teachers because of the teacher shortage.

The teachers' unions are open to the idea, but with caveats.

In an interview, Josée Scalabrini, president of teachers' union the Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement, said she couldn't disagree with finding a faster way to make teachers available and trained, but it should not be at the expense of teacher training, she insisted.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 24, 2023