Who is teaching our children? Concerns raised about unqualified people replacing sick teachers

BY PAUL JUNOR

There are unprecedented challenges that Ontario public schools face as they continue to deal with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ontario Ministry of Education has indicated in early January that it will allow retired teachers to work beyond the minimum of 50 days to 95 days as one way to ensure that there are qualified teachers. In addition, it has given school boards the option of rearranging classes so that students can be accommodated.

PressProgress reported on January 13^th, 2022, in an article by Mtichell Thompson that Stephen Lewis Secondary School in the Peel District School Board (PDSB) indicated in an email to parents that it is looking for “Emergency temporary coverage school monitors,” to replace sick teachers. The email states, “We are currently hiring Emergency Temporary Coverage school monitors for SLSS. School monitors will be called upon to provide supervision coverage for classes through supply or in-school teachers.” The Ministry of Education has been given special permission under the Education Act, Emergency Regulation 298 for school boards to hire anyone with a high school or university diploma. The minimum criteria include:

• Hold a post-secondary diploma or transcript confirming you are in the final year of a post-secondary program
  All out of provinces, but within Canada high school graduation diploma/post-secondary diploma/degree are automatically recognized Candidates who obtained their education outside of Canada, must provide proof of equivalency of their education to an Ontario high school diploma/ post-secondary diploma/degree

• If successful in the interview, must provide a criminal background check
• Section 22(1) of Regulation 298 prohibits the hiring of school monitors who have OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) qualified

PressProgress revealed that PDSB subsequently indicated that it is trying to find these individuals for “safety purposes” who must be older than eighteen-years-old with at least a high school diploma. Halton Catholic District School Board indicated on its website that it is paying $19.95 per hour for individuals who are not qualified teachers for emergency replacement supply positions.

Karen Littlewood, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation has expressed serious concerns about this policy. She states, “We want to get schools back in person because for students in-person learning is best. However, if a teacher is not teaching them, I’m not sure what purpose it’s serving. We’re seeing a collapse of the system that was already facing massive cuts before the pandemic and a plan that has not been through out beforehand. We have a teacher shortage and we have been saying this well before COVID-19.” She is concerned that there will not be enough time to do the criminal background check.

Laura Walton, President of CUPE’s school board council states, “The proposal to hire unqualified people as emergency temporary workers in schools isn’t a plan. It’s proof that the government is panicking because it has no plan to replace education workers when they’re absent, and no plan to recruit qualified staff.”