Teacher shortage is a crisis, but it is fixable, says BCTF

The BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) says solving the province-wide educator shortage is achievable, but it all comes down to whether or not the government will commit more money to deal with the problem.

Clint Johnston, president of the federation, says a bigger investment will not only equal better pay for educators but better working conditions, helping the province retain and attract staff, because right now, students are likely not getting the support they need.

“The current shortage is what I would call a crisis,” Johnston told CityNews. “Even the government’s own numbers, what they’re suggesting is going to take 20,000 teachers and about 7,000 support workers over the next 10 years, and that’s just to keep pace with what they have now. It’s not to fill any of the gaps we’re talking about.”

Between October and December alone, there were about 1,300 instances of teachers not being replaced in elementary school classrooms throughout Vancouver, he says.

Johnston says this discussion has been going on for more than a decade and has been getting worse and worse. He says lots of students across the province are slipping through the cracks because there are not enough teachers, and it’s even worse for those who need extra support.

He adds that inclusive education typically costs $350 million more than the province is willing to spend.

This plea for increased funding comes ahead of the unveiling of the provincial budget next week. In a statement, the province wouldn’t count on specifics, but says it’s committed to working with education partners to recruit, train, hire and retain teachers.