French teacher crunch has B.C. recruiting internationally

B.C. will sign agreements with different education sections in France and Netherland to recruit French-language teachers. (Celia Ortega/Unsplash)

The B.C. government announced yesterday that they are going to France, Belgium and the Netherlands from April 3 to 6 to recruit French language teachers.

B.C. delegations will talk about working opportunities for current teachers or students who wish to become French language teachers.

Currently, 53,487 students – 10 per cent of the public school population in B.C. – are enrolled in a French immersion program.

"The shortage of French language teachers is a problem across Canada, and it is positive that Minister Fleming is taking proactive steps to ensure the demand for French language K-12 programs in B.C. is met," Glen Hansman, president, British Columbia Teachers' Federation said in a press release.

Rob Fleming, Minister of Education will sign government-to-government agreements with different education sections in France and Netherlands. Minister of Education expected to spend around $40,000 on this trip.

“I know how important French language learning is to parents and students in British Columbia,” Fleming said in a press release.

This mission expands on the efforts currently underway by government, the BC Public School Employers’ Association and B.C.’s school districts to recruit teachers. This is a great opportunity to promote further collaboration to help us in attracting French teachers to B.C.”

This is not the first time the B.C. government has directed funds to French language education. The province has invested $180,000 to UBC and SFU to support French teaching programs and plans to create 37 more spaces in these universities’ French teacher education programs over the next two years.

— Richmond News