The Ontario government announced that it is funding an additional 110 French-language teacher education spaces for the 2023-24 academic year. Officials said that the new spaces at the University of Ottawa and the Toronto-based Université de l’Ontario français will help address teacher shortages for schools in Toronto and Eastern-Ontario.
“We are taking meaningful action to address the shortage of French-language teachers in Ontario,” Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop stated. “By adding more French-language teacher education spaces, we’re providing students with more choice and increased access to high-quality French-language postsecondary education, helping prepare them to succeed in meaningful and rewarding careers.”
This initiative is part of the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction 2020-21 to 2022-23 and the Canada–Ontario Agreement on the Establishment of the Université de l’Ontario Français 2019–20 to 2026–27. Funding in these agreements allows for federal and provincial supports to enhance and establish French-language programs.
The investment enhances Ontario’s four-year French Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy launched in June 2021. The multi-pronged strategy will help recruit, train and retain French-language and French as a Second Language teachers in both the French-language and English-language school systems.
“Education is a vital priority for every francophone family in the province. We share their determination to meet the needs of their children and to support them directly within their communities,” said Minister of Francophone Affairs said Caroline Mulroney. “We look forward to soon welcoming all these new graduating teachers to schools in Toronto and Eastern Ontario!”
