|
The number of unqualified people
hired as teachers in Ontario classrooms made a dramatic jump in 2000-2001, as
the Ministry of Education issued more than 1,300 Letters of Permission, up from
800 the year before. "The College is concerned that the use of unqualified personnel as teachers is significantly on the rise across the province," said College Registrar Joe Atkinson. "The College must act in the public interest and make sure that children receive the best education possible and that Ontario classrooms are supervised by qualified teachers. The use of unqualified persons raises a lot of questions from parents and the profession." The College is concerned that these individuals do not meet the educational requirements to teach and do not have to meet the College’s standards of practice and ethical standards for the profession. Recent statistics from the Ontario Ministry of Education show that close to 1,000 unqualified people taught in Toronto region classrooms last year. This total includes 189 at the elementary level, 40 in Technological Studies and 21 in Special Education. Other areas affected by the use of unqualified people are Ottawa, with 138, London, with 123, North Bay/ Sudbury 48, Thunder Bay 22 and Barrie 39. A Letter of Permission allows a school board to employ, for a maximum of one year, a person who is not a member of the College if the Minister is satisfied that no member of the College is available. "The increase is definitely a reflection of the teacher shortage that has affected all regions of the province since 1998 and is expected to continue until 2010," said Atkinson. "It leaves no doubt that we have to come up with effective strategies to address the shortage and make the profession attractive again." The College held a consultation with a wide range of stakeholders on September 25 to follow up on key themes raised by the Minister’s Task Force on Teacher Shortage that was created following the College’s initial study on the issue in December 1998. Participants at the consultation suggested a number of elements that could be included into action plans to deal with the shortage of qualified teachers affecting schools across the province. "We were quite surprised at the number of unqualified people reported to be in elementary schools in the Toronto region," said Atkinson. "You would think that if there’s any place in the province where you should be able to find elementary teachers, it would be here." The College is also concerned that its disciplinary process also doesn’t apply to unqualified individuals, as they are not members of the College. If concerns were raised about an unqualified person in the classroom, for example, there might be no way currently to prevent them from simply moving to a different school, a serious concern raised by Justice Sydney Robins in his report Protecting Our Students, released in April 2000. R E Q U E S T T O M I N I S T R Y In February 1999, the College Council requested the Minister of Education and Training to provide an annual update to the College on school boards’ use of Letters of Permission and emergency provisions under the Education Act. Council wanted assurance that school boards are abiding by the regulations governing Letters of Permission and emergency provisions. In May, Council further requested the authority to grant Letters of Permission to ensure that licensed teachers supervise Ontario classrooms and, in emergency situations, that those in charge remain accountable to the public if they are not licensed teachers. Then-College Chair Donna Marie Kennedy said the College needs the authority to issue Letters of Permission for reasons of accountability, standards of practice, ethical standards and misconduct rules. The College continues to receive questions and complaints from parents who have been unable to determine the qualifications of their child’s new teacher from the College’s public register. These individuals often turn out not to be teachers, but instead are working under a Letter of Permission. The proposed change would have allowed the College Registrar to issue Letters of Permission, impose terms and conditions and cancel letters if needed. The Registrar would maintain a list of the school boards that have requested Letters of Permission, the person for whom the letter was issued and any terms or conditions that apply. This information would be accessible to parents, students and College members as part of the College’s public register. The transfer of Letters of Permission to the College would require the government to make amendments to the Education Act and the Ontario College of Teachers Act. B l u e P a g e s A r t i c l e s |
From the Chair | Registrar's Report | Remarkable Teachers | Blue Pages News | Reviews | Calendar | Netwatch | FAQ | Letters to the Editor Ontario College of Teachers 121 Bloor Street East, 6th Floor Toronto ON M4W 3M5 Phone: 416-961-8800 Toll-free: 1-888-534-2222 Fax: 416-961-8822 http://www.oct.ca info@oct.ca |