Back to school: Quebec teachers feeling burdened by lack of resources, specialists

Montreal elementary school teacher Valentina Manta may just started her career, but she can’t see herself doing it for a lifetime.

And it’s not because she doesn’t love what she does; a lack of resources, specialists and teachers are contributing to the burden, and it’s taking a toll.

With a new school year upon her, Manta – who teaches sixth grade in the West Island – is worried she’ll be forced to take on more than she can handle.

“I love teaching, I really do,” she told CityNews. “I teach at school; I teach dance outside of school. But I’m at my fourth year and I don’t see myself continuing for 10, 20 more years. Because it’s only been four years and I’m physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted year after year.”

Valentina Manta, who teaches at an elementary school in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, on Aug. 25, 2023. (Brittany Henriques, CityNews)

Last week the province announced it needed to fill 8,558 teaching positions – 1,859 full-time roles and 6,699 part-time ones. The education minister called the situation a “considerable challenge.”

This time last year there were 5,335 teachers missing, though the province says those numbers may have been incomplete.

“It feels like a pattern that keeps on repeating itself, but just keeps on getting worse every year,” said Manta. “And I can’t help but worry about what’s to come.

“What concerns me the most is that we’re missing a lot of resources that in the end affects the children, affects the teachers. We aren’t equipped with what we need in order to handle certain situations.”

WATCH: Quebec teachers unions call for better conditions amid staff shortages

Not enough support services, teachers say

Teachers’ unions have argued the province is having a hard time finding people who want to teach because of current working conditions. But the Quebec government says it has already made changes to address that.

Teachers clearly do not agree.

“Put the resources in, put the budget in and work with us for better work conditions, that we can keep those new teachers in and even veterans,” said Dina Isabel Henriques, a kindergarten teacher in Gatineau.

“I have colleagues that were working for over 20 years and just stopped teaching.”

Like Manta, Henriques says a big problem is the lack of support services.

“If you’re having a child with some difficulties, you want him to be evaluated, but there’s no specialists there, or there’s no help for him to integrate the classrooms,” said Henriques. “We’re really seeing it more and more. It’s been going on for a while but the more we progress, the worse it gets.”

At a press conference Sunday morning, union representatives confirmed the situation extends to support staff in Quebec – not just teachers. In some cases, 50 per cent of positions in school service centres have yet to be filled for the upcoming school year.

The unions also expressed concern about the amount of resignations seen in certain school service centres.

“After a very difficult few years that we’re had in the past, things are going to get more difficult,” said Andrea Di Tomaso, a spokesperson for the Association professionnelle du personnel administratif (CSN).

The Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN) holds a press conference outside Charles-Lemoyne school in Montreal Aug. 27, 2023. (Alan Sukonnik, CityNews)

Record number of immigrants

Numbers show a record number of new immigrants have enrolled in schools in the greater Montreal area.

Teachers are wondering what could happen amid staffing shortages, with less or even no specialists available to help children integrate and learn.

“It puts a lot of pressure on the students, first of all that we’re supposed to be giving them a certain education, they might not be able to receive it based off of their needs,” said Manta.

“The problem is that we’re lacking so much personnel and it’s very, very worrisome that these kids came from families that came to Canada for a better lifestyle, a better education, and we’re not able to give them what they want.”

“For the integration to work you need the resources to go with it,” said Henriques.