Summary
Today, Minister Lecce announced our government is taking action to recruit and retain more French teachers, to ensure that all students receive a high-quality French-language or French as a second language (FSL) education. To assist in this effort, the province is supporting various initiatives such as career fairs, as well as partnering with two working groups in order to focus on professional development for French teachers and raise awareness of employment opportunities.
Ontario continues to partner with various education stakeholders, including its provincial French Language Working Group, to address the recruitment and retention of teachers in the French-language school system. In addition, we are relaunching the FSL Provincial Working Group, whose membership will represent a variety of perspectives, including those of senior school board administrators, teachers, parents, FSL associations, and researchers. Both working groups will focus on professional development for French teachers and raising awareness of employment opportunities.
Projects to promote careers as French teachers also include a partnership with Laurentian University to create a new hybrid French-language teacher education program and a new guide for English-language school boards.
Key Messages
- Our government is committed to protecting and promoting French-language and bilingual education in Ontario now and into the future.
- With the rising enrollment and increased popularity of our French-language and FSL programs, coupled with a long standing national shortage of educators, underscores the need for action, which is why we are ensuring schools have access to more qualified French language educators.
- We are helping to create more professional learning opportunities for teachers, and supporting various initiatives that focus on the retention and recruitment of French-language teachers in both the French- and English-language education systems.
- Ontario continues to partner with various education stakeholders, including its provincial French Language Working Group, to address the recruitment and retention of teachers in the French-language school system.
- In addition, we are relaunching the FSL Provincial Working Group, whose membership will represent a variety of perspectives, including those of senior school board administrators, teachers, parents, FSL associations and researchers.
- Both working groups will focus on professional development for French teachers and raising awareness of employment opportunities.
- By supporting the recruitment of more qualified French-language teachers, our government is ensuring that Ontario students and their parents have greater access to learning opportunities in French, as a first language or as a second language.