Digital platforms and documents for consultation or sharing
May eventually be posted on the Department’s website.
Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: West
- Project Overview
Project status
- Completed :
- April 2019-March 2022
Project manager or
resource person
- Maude Plourde
- Interim Director, Programmes de langues officielles, Bureau de l’éducation française
Partner organization(s)
Manitoba Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning
Increasing the capacity of Université de Saint-Boniface to produce more Bachelor of Education graduates
Since September 2017, USB’s Education faculty has had cohorts that are 35 to 45 percent larger than in the past. USB expects to have a cohort of at least 70 students in September 2019, and at the beginning of each of the subsequent two years (September 2020 and September 2021) as a result of the project promoting the teaching profession led by CPF- Manitoba in collaboration with its partners. Given the shortage of FFL/FSL-FI teachers, the significant increase in the number of students entering the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program is a positive sign.
However, USB's Education faculty does not have enough regular faculty to accommodate such large cohorts. To avoid having to cut back on the program due to a lack of personnel, USB believes it is essential to hire stable staff. This will also allow us to proactively plan for the training of large cohorts and to gauge the extent of training needs over the next few years.
The project aims to fund three professional teaching positions in USB’s Education faculty: two term positions for the three academic years beginning September 2019, to which a third term position would be added for the two academic years beginning September 2020, for a total of three term positions. These teachers will focus on preparing the cohorts of B.Ed. students expected over the three years of the project.
Targeted Results
Manitoba will secure some 185 graduates to fill a minimum of 160 FFL/FSL-FI positions over the project term, partially addressing the shortage of French First Language and French Second Language teachers in its schools.
Main takeaways (learnings)
- If we had it to do over again, there would be less discussion and more time for action.
- The profession's lack of appeal doesn't apply to Manitoba's minority francophone context where there is neither difficulty attracting students, nor attrition.
Potential/desired collaborations
Provinces with a similar profile to Manitoba (e.g. Saskatchewan and Alberta)
- To share experiences.
- To share information and resources.
National organizations (e.g. ACPI)
- It's easier to work with a national organization when you want to work with school divisions.
- National organizations often have the credibility, perspective and ease of communicating with other provinces.
