The province of Ontario is suggesting that teachers without technology credentials be allowed to teach specific technology courses for the upcoming school year. This move is being viewed as a sign of the province's lack of readiness for the new mandatory nature of these classes by both teachers and principals.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce declared last year that starting in September 2024, high school students will need to take a technology and skilled trades course in Grade 9 or 10 in order to graduate.
However, the government is currently considering options to permit principals to assign teachers with general education qualifications, even if they do not have specific technological qualifications, to teach these courses for the next year.
There is already a shortage of teachers, especially those specialized in technology, even before introducing the new mandatory requirements for students to take these courses, expressed Ontario Principals Council president Ralph Nigro.
“We are generally very supportive of introducing these courses, but I believe there should have been additional measures taken before their implementation, such as creating more spots in teacher education programs for technology teachers,” Nigro mentioned in an interview.
“It seems that this did not happen, and when we consider the shortages of teachers over the years, we are very concerned about having enough staff in place.”
A newly proposed regulation recently released by the government states that principals could assign a teacher without specific technology credentials to teach the courses, as long as the teacher agrees.
At present, principals do not have a clear idea of how many teachers might agree to this, Nigro stated.
“I have been a high school principal since 2003, and generally, high school teachers – having been one myself – usually do not like to teach outside their certified area,” he noted.
“They prefer to teach in the area they have been trained and where they specialize.”
The president of the main high school teachers’ union is concerned that many teachers may agree to this because they might feel they have little choice.
“Due to many individuals being on supply lists or occasional teacher lists, there are many people who will agree to teach something outside their subject area, either as a favor to a principal or because they hope to teach the course they want next year,” said Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president Karen Littlewood.
“In my opinion, this is not in the best interest of the students.”
Similar to Nigro, Littlewood supports providing students with more technological education but suggests that the new requirements should have likely been phased in or trialed in some way first.
The courses are promoted as “hands on,” but Littlewood is concerned that without technology-qualified teachers, they will turn out to be more like a careers in technology course, which she believes will not help address the shortage of people entering the trades.
Littlewood states that Ontario should be focusing on ways to encourage more individuals with industry certifications in the trades to become teachers, as there are currently significant disincentives. Tradespeople would have to leave their jobs, attend teacher's college for two years, and then start at the bottom of the pay scale to work in a school.
“Lots of them earn lower income in education, but they choose to do it to help students and their field in the future,” Littlewood explained.
