Ontario adds 2,600 teachers’ college spaces to combat worsening shortage

Ontario is adding 2,600 spaces to teachers’ colleges across the province as it stares down a worsening teacher shortage.

The budget tabled last week contained a brief reference to spending $55.8 million over two years to train those new teachers by 2027.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn says the money will go toward adding new spaces at all schools offering a bachelor of education program and will start to be available as early as this September.

Quinn says there is also a particular focus on northern and rural areas, technological education and French, which are all areas of heightened need.

He also says some priority is being given to schools such as Queen’s University, Western University and Ontario Tech, which offer compressed programs.

Teachers unions say the move is welcome though will not in isolation solve the problem.

They say retention needs to be addressed, as well as recruitment, through improving working conditions.