With increased interest in French immersion in B.C. comes increased pressure to find qualified teachers.

Currently, teaching programs in British Columbia are not meeting the demand for French-speaking teachers, which leads recruiting drives across the country in addition to to some imperfect scenarios in classrooms.

B次元官网网址淭here continues to be challenges in recruiting French immersion teachers,B次元官网网址� according to Chilliwack School District principal of human resources Diego Testa.

B次元官网网址淭here is a limited pool being produced out of the universities locally. All districts are recruiting further afield.B次元官网网址�

Testa said his team has been to job fairs across the country in Ottawa, Toronto and other universities in Ontario.

In the spring, the Ministry of Education even went as far as Europe to recruit.

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And while there have been challenges, Testa maintains almost all positions in his district are filled properly at this time. There are a couple of circumstances causing short-term problems, he conceded, one involving a teacher being held to a 30-day notice from leaving another school district. She wonB次元官网网址檛 be in town until October.

In other situations theyB次元官网网址檝e had to double up with two teachers in a high school class when, for example, there is an English-speaking social studies teacher being helped with the language by a primary level French teacher.

B次元官网网址淲e do have temporary measures in some of these circumstances,B次元官网网址� Testa said.

But some parents are already reporting situations where their children in late French immersion high school classes being taught by English-only speaking teachers.

Meghan Reid said her daughter is in Grade 9 at Sardis secondary and has a long-term English-only substitute teaching French and Science French, with another English-only substitute teaching social studies French.

SheB次元官网网址檚 been told by the principal that the shortage of teachers mean there is no resolution on the horizon.

B次元官网网址淭hey do not expect to get French substitutes due to the French teacher shortage,B次元官网网址� she said.

All this points to the ever-increasing demand for French immersion, according to the Canadian Parents for French B.C. and Yukon.

B次元官网网址淔rench immersion is a well-established and highly regarded program,B次元官网网址� said Diane Tijman, president of Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon. B次元官网网址淒esigned to help students become functionally bilingual by the time they graduate, the programB次元官网网址檚 effects are very real, empowering young people and opening doors in so many different ways.B次元官网网址�

While overall enrolment in schools is actually decreasing across B.C. (from 606,383 total enrolment in 2004/2005 to 563,247 in 2017/2018) French immersion enrolment is on the rise.

Last school year, 53,487 students were enrolled in French immersion across B.C., or 9.5 per cent of the entire student body. ThatB次元官网网址檚 an increase of 50 per cent since 2004/2005.

B次元官网网址淎s a result of the booming popularity of this well-established program, districts around the province are scrambling to find enough qualified teachers and teaching assistants,B次元官网网址� the CPF said in a press release.

According to Stats Canada, the CPF release stated, Canadians who speak both French and English earn, on average, 10 per cent more, and have a lower unemployment rate, compared to Canadians who only speak one of the two official languages.

B次元官网网址淎s well, there are cognitive developmental benefits of learning an additional language, such as: stronger listening skills, improved focus and concentration, increased ability to understand complex problems and higher tolerance, insight and understanding of other cultures.B次元官网网址�

As for human resources departments across B.C., they are left scrambling to market their respective communities to draw French immersion teachers from across Canada.

Testa is optimistic but he believes the pressure may remain for a number of years as universities are not able to be as nimble as is needed to meet demand.

B次元官网网址淭hings are certainly getting better,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧romoting that thereB次元官网网址檚 steady work available in B.C. and the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack has helped us and is helping us to be more successful.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know whatB次元官网网址檚 on the horizon. I feel like we are turning the corner on some of the shortages in general, but some of these specialty area will continue to be a challenge for the next little bit.B次元官网网址�

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paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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