Almost a month after the start of the school year, the Centre de services scolaires des Trois-Lacs (CSSTL) is still looking for some 17 teachers, mainly at high school level.

According to the most recent report published by the Ministry of Education on September 18, there is a shortage of one full-time teacher, nine part-time teachers at 100% and seven part-time teachers at less than 100%.

"These numbers are accurate, but it's important to point out that the situation is evolving on a daily basis," confirms Alexandra Desrochers, Communications Manager at the CSSTL.

"All our high schools are affected by this situation. The positions to be filled are mainly in special education, math and science classes," she adds.

To counter the situation, Ms. Desrochers explains that several arrangements are possible, without confirming whether any have been put in place.

"Several arrangements are possible. Teachers currently on the job can temporarily take on additional duties. A retired teacher can temporarily fill in. The task can even be divided between two substitutes who are not available full-time, but who have expertise in the subject being taught. In the meantime, we continue to look for someone to fill the contract," says the Communications Manager.

Ongoing recruitment

According to Alexandra Desrochers, the CSSTL is still in recruitment mode. "Our recruitment activities are numerous, to encourage candidates to apply for job opportunities posted on our website. For example, we post our jobs on various platforms, both locally and nationally".

If we consult the Careers section of the CSSTL website, we can see that many positions have been posted for several months, with new ones being added regularly. 

"We're doing everything we can to ensure that our students feel the impact of the labour shortage as little as possible," she concludes.