Despite shortage, province fills almost all French immersion teaching jobs
Mad dash was in response to a swell of students enrolling in the early-entry program
New Brunswick has lined up 97 per cent of the French immersion teachers it needs for Anglophone school districts come September.
In February, the Department of Education said it needed to hire 40 French immersion teachers.
The mad dash to hire was in response to a swell of students enrolling in the early-entry immersion program.
More than half the Grade 1 students in the province enrolled in the program, which was restored by the Liberal government in 2016.
"The province's four anglophone school districts have 68 schools that offer early immersion," the Department of Education said in a news release Tuesday.
"There are 119 Grade 2 French immersion classes, and 116 teachers are in place. The remaining positions are expected to be filled shortly."
More than 200 teachers retiring
The New Brunswick Teachers' Association declined to comment Tuesday.
As well as staffing demands from the reinstatement of the early immersion program, there will be pressure to fill vacancies created by teacher retirements.
More than 200 teachers, vice-principals and principals are set to retire over the next few years, including between 50 and 60 in francophone school districts.
"I think teachers are going as soon as they can retire," said George Daley, president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association in April.
"The demand on teachers, on administrators, have drastically changed in the last 10 years."
Shortage across country
A shortage of French Immersion teachers exists across Canada, with cross-country recruitment and incentives now being used to fill vacancies.
According to the release from the provincial government, a recruitment strategy is in place and includes attending job fairs at the provincial, national and international levels.
"As well, teachers within the school system who have the capacity to teach French but may be teaching in other areas have been given the opportunity to transition to a French second-language or French immersion teaching position," the release said.
With files from Information Morning Fredericton