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More than 5,700 teaching positions unfilled in Quebec, just days before school year begins

Click to play video: 'Overworked and underappreciated: Teachers urge action, lament ‘challenges’ in recruiting colleagues amid shortage'
Overworked and underappreciated: Teachers urge action, lament ‘challenges’ in recruiting colleagues amid shortage
RELATED: As millions of Canadian students head back to school, their teachers are under growing pressure due to a nationwide shortage of fellow educators. Neetu Garcha explains the action some schools have taken due to a lack of staff, and what's driving teachers to leave their profession – Sep 5, 2023

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville says there are still 5,704 teaching positions to be filled in the province’s schools, weeks before the new school year begins.

But Drainville says that number represents 2,800 fewer vacancies compared with this time last year.

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He says the school system faces a serious challenge to find enough teachers because there are about 20,000 more students enrolled than there were last year.

Of the 5,704 unfilled teaching spots, 1,406 are for permanent, full-time positions, and the rest are contract jobs.

Drainville says the improvement over last year is due in part to a new collective agreement that requires teachers to accept class assignments by Aug. 8.

Unions, however, have said that despite the change in the contract, the education network is still dealing with a serious labour shortage.

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