P.E.I. lowers substitute teacher requirements to mitigate availability issues
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Modifications to P.E.I.’s Schooling Act will give Island colleges entry to a wider pool of substitute lecturers in areas the place particular abilities are wanted.
On March 19, modifications to the Instructor Certification and Requirements Rules part of the Education Act got here into impact, chopping the post-secondary necessities for substitute lecturers from two years (60 credit score hours) to at least one yr (30 credit score hours).
John Cummings, director of academic providers, stated the change was put by to assist the Island’s two schooling authorities, the Public Schools Branch and the Commission scolaire de langue française.
“That was primarily executed … to assist them recruit for areas the place they had been having points discovering substitutes,” he stated. “Whether or not that be French-speaking substitutes or different languages, or to supply them with a little bit extra flexibility to recruit substitutes in areas all through the province the place they could have a problem discovering the suitable variety of substitutes.”
Cummings stated whereas the modification received’t see the variety of substitutes double or triple, it should give the 2 schooling authorities some flexibility when confronted with briefly staffing a program that wants particular abilities or a faculty that geographically lacks substitutes.
“It supplies the 2 schooling authorities with a bit extra latitude to achieve out to people who find themselves properly certified however solely have that one yr of post-secondary,” he stated. “I feel the problem (the authorities) have had lately is that they have wholesome numbers of subs on their checklist, however these on their lists could produce other commitments, will not be accessible on daily basis or with COVID-19, they could be coping with that personally or of their household.”
Cummings stated at present the PSB has roughly 460 subs on the checklist, whereas the CSLF has round 45. Nonetheless, the variety of those that are literally accessible every day is ever-changing.
Further abilities
For the CSLF, being able to depend upon further expert individuals who would possibly lack a little bit expertise will assist create a extra sustainable schooling system for its colleges.
“Fairly often we’ve difficulties in very particular areas,” stated Gilles Arsenault, superintendent of the CSLF.
“For instance, industrial arts, the place this system is a trades and know-how piece, is normally considered one of them, so if we are able to depend on individuals who have coaching in that space, it might be very useful.”
Arsenault stated the CSLF has just a few points which might be distinctive to the French language colleges in the case of substitutes.
“We don’t have an enormous French inhabitants on P.E.I. to have the ability to depend on who can put their names on the sub checklist, so if you take a look at these modifications, I feel it should be a bonus for staffing,” he stated.
The college board can also be separated by area, which suggests a substitute might spend someday at Evangeline, the following in Summerside and the following someplace in West Prince, stated Arsenault. Nonetheless, he stated it turns into tough in the event that they then should ship that sub to Souris because of a scarcity of individuals accessible domestically.
Pandemic points
Whereas the modifications to the act weren’t particularly focused at helping with COVID-19, Arsenault stated they may even help with the current difficulties of getting subs to cowl for lecturers who’re isolating.
“We’re not dwelling in regular occasions,” he stated. “We had extra subs required than ever earlier than (this yr) as a result of we had a system the place our lecturers had been both residence for a time below public well being order (for shut contact publicity) or that they had COVID themselves.”
As most of the CSLF’s substitutes are retired lecturers, some weren’t snug coming into colleges as COVID-19 circumstances climbed, stated Arsenault.
To assist with this, the CSLF depended not solely on its pool of substitutes this yr, but additionally board stage employees who’re licensed lecturers and different licensed lecturers on employees with the division of schooling.
“I feel the problem (the authorities) have had lately is that they have wholesome numbers of subs on their checklist, however these on their lists could produce other commitments, will not be accessible on daily basis or with COVID-19, they could be coping with that personally or of their household.”
– John Cummings
As for sustaining the anticipated high quality of schooling, Arsenault stated he’s not involved, because the CSLF will nonetheless be interviewing and vetting potential substitute candidates to make sure they meet the college board’s expectations.
“We nonetheless need high-quality substitute lecturers and we have to understand the lesson planning is being executed by the lecturers themselves,” he stated.
“On the finish of the day, if we are able to have somebody with a bit of coaching and a little bit of curiosity … and have them on our sub pool checklist, that helps out the entire system. It will permit us to have an even bigger pool of substitute lecturers and we will return to hopefully a standard schooling setting very shortly.”
Cody McEachern is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.
