(Montreal) The fast track for non-legally qualified teachers who want to complete their training is taking shape, as TÉLUQ University will receive a first cohort of candidates as of the fall start.
TÉLUQ specifies that it will offer “100% remotely” a 30-credit Specialized Graduate Diploma, which is intended for practicing preschool and elementary school teachers, who hold a bachelor’s degree, but who are not currently legally qualified to teach.
A pre-selection of candidates will be made by the School Service Centers and supervision will be provided in the school environment, specifies TÉLUQ.
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, was delighted, he who had announced in January that he wanted to develop a fast track leading to the teaching certificate.
Quebec has resorted to hiring non-legally qualified teachers because of the teacher shortage.
“I salute the initiative of TÉLUQ University and the School Service Centers and invite all universities to develop their own 30-credit teaching program. I reiterate the importance of qualifying the staff who already work with our students in the schools. Faced with the challenges posed by the shortage of labor in the education network, everyone must pitch in,” Minister Drainville said in a press release on Friday.
The teachers’ unions are open while bringing caveats.
In an interview, the president of the Fédération des unions de l’enseignement, affiliated with the CSQ, Josée Scalabrini, affirms that she cannot be against the fact that we find a faster way to make teachers available and trained, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of pedagogical training, she insists.
“We have to make sure that the whole educational dimension is there in what is going to be brought. We don’t want to train robots using methods considered convincing in certain circles. We want teachers who are going to be able to critically choose their pedagogical methods to teach our young people,” commented Ms. Scalabrini.
The union leader therefore says she is open “but with respect for the promotion of the profession”.
“We, for a temporary measure, since we need teachers, so as not to devalue the profession, what we want is to be associated with the criteria and guidelines that will be given to support these people. there who would like to continue their studies,” she added.
The 30-credit courses offered by TÉLUQ University focus, for example, on effective behavior management, assessment practices in a school context, student heterogeneity and inclusive practices.
