EMSB recruiting from France to aid teacher shortage in Quebec

To deal with the shortage of teachers in the classroom, the English Montreal School Board is getting creative – recruiting from not just out of the province but outside the country, like France. For students here at Willingdon Elementary School, they’re being taught by their new teacher Adèle Guilloteau . She’s one of three that are part of the pilot project newly arriving from France.

“It’s very special to see the French culture that they are bringing in and their experience from France to the class,” says Darlene Kehyayan the Assistant director, of human resources at EMSB.

Guilloteau was a part-time teacher in France while getting her Masters degree in Bordeaux. “I had never been on a plane for so long,” she laughs describing her move over in October last year.

At Willingdon, Guilloteau teaches multiple subjects in French part of the school’s french immersion program, including subjects like math, music, visual arts.

The decision to come to Montreal to teach was, in the beginning, a challenging one.

“In France, I teach pretty much the same subjects, more or less, but my students are French and here, the fact that the students are English-speaking, it is really a challenge,” she says.

Guilloteau, not fully bilingual herself, said she was a bit apprehensive on how it would work. But four months in she says its worked in the favour of the students, allowing them to understand French quicker and easier.

“She brings in everything to do with the French language, obviously the subjects that she teaches. But then she also brings in that aspect of culture and discussing, you know, diversity and how things are done in a foreign country versus here,” says Silvana Crigna Principal at Willingdon Elementary School.

“I think it’s really a great opportunity. We are offered a unique experience in a new country. We are freshly graduated and we can already teach. It’s really super,” smiles Guilloteau.

Recruiting teachers from outside of the country or outside of the province is a great short term solution. But it’s not the solution that’s going to fix this,” says Heidi Yetman, the President Of Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, who says more needs to be done by the province to invest in education

“Instead of talking about a shortage of teachers, we’re talking about a shortage of good working conditions,” says Yetman.

According to Yetman, teachers in the province are paid less than others across the country, and according to data from Statistics Canada, the average salary after 10 years of experience is substantially lower in Quebec.

For now Adèle is enjoying the experience, here on a two year visa she says she would like to stay for a couple of years, but isn’t sure for now how long.