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Nearly 300 teachers still needed across the province: BCTF

With thousands of kids heading back to school this week, there is still hundreds of teaching positions to be filled. Global News

The first week of school is in full swing and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) says the province is still nearly 300 teachers short.

BCTF President Glen Hansman says they’re currently pulling ESL (English Second Language) teachers and principals away from their duties to teach classes.

Hansman says it has a lot to do with price of living.

“British Columbia, because of affordability because of really poor starting salaries and some other issues, has a hard time either attracting enough people to British Columbia or keeping the ones we have.”

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Hansman adds we aren’t the only province facing this problem.

“Starting salaries at this point [in] time are the lowest in Canada, except for Quebec, so both Quebec and B.C. have massive teacher shortages and also have the worst starting salaries in the country. Whether there’s a correlation or not is for other people to decide.”
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Last year, the Ministry of Education recommended a recruitment and retention fund for B.C.’s teachers.

The recommendation has yet to be acted on.

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