Commentary
Ontario is struggling with a teacher shortage. According to recently released briefing documents from the Ontario Ministry of Education, this shortage will get even worse in 2027. That’s because many teachers are expected to retire while student enrolment increases.
The challenge is particularly acute in specialty areas such as French immersion where it’s increasingly difficult for school boards to attract qualified candidates. Given current demographic trends and the reality of supply and demand, this problem will likely get worse before it gets better.
Teacher unions think they have the solution to this problem—spend more money on government schools. They argue that teachers are underpaid and that across-the-board salary increases will attract more teachers to the profession….