Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: West
- Project Overview
Project status
- Completed :
- March 2019-June 2020
- Completed :
- March 2020-June 2021
Project manager or
resource person
- Duncan McIndoe
- French Teacher Recruitment and Retention Coordinator, Bureau de l’éducation en français
Partner organization(s)
British Columbia Ministry of Education and Child Care
British Columbia Provincial French Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in Minority French Language Schools and in French Immersion and Second-Language Programs - Phase 1
The strategy proposed by British Columbia addressed the issue of French teacher recruitment and retention from multiple angles and included activities that supported research, promotion, teacher training, certification, hiring and retention. A study commissioned by the Ministry of Education demonstrated the importance of targeting all the steps of the teacher continuum pathway, from training to recruitment and retention, to ensure maximum impact.
This strategy benefited both the minority language education and second language learning components equally and had a significant impact on French teacher recruitment and retention in British Columbia.
The strategy consisted of eight initiatives, all of which built upon each other to maximize the efficiency of efforts and of available funds to respond to the needs of French education stakeholders in British Columbia. The eight initiatives included:
- Enhancement of the data collection system for French teachers;
- Research on drivers for supply/demand;
- Enhancement of teacher education programs;
- Fast-tracking teacher certification process;
- Support to new teachers;
- Development of, and support to, professional networks for French teachers;
- French language training for in-service teachers, and
- Expansion of teacher education programs.
The implementation of the strategy took place over the 2019-2020 fiscal year—with the exception of one project that was delayed until 2020-2021—with multiple partners involved in the project’s delivery.
Project 1: Enhancement of Data Collection System for French Teacher Workforce
Project 2: Research on Drivers for Supply/Demand for the French Immersion Program
Project 3: Enhancement of Teacher Education Programs
Project 4: Expansion of Teacher Education Programs (2020-2021)
Project 5: Fast-Tracking Teacher Certification Process
Project 6: Support to New Teachers
Project 7: Development of, and Support to, Professional Networks for French Teachers
Project 8: French Language Training for In-Service Teachers.
This project supported various strategies and activities across the province to address the shortage of teachers in minority Francophone schools and French second language programs.
Targeted Results
Main takeaways (learnings)
- Demonstrated need for province-wide and continued support of French teacher recruitment.
- Need and appetite for initiatives that support schools and school districts.
- Importance of partnerships with postsecondary institutions and direct collaboration with school districts for recruitment and retention of teachers.
- Need to continue the good work.
Potential/desired collaborations
- To learn from each other.
- For support from each other (Ex.: challenges).
- To situate BC within trends.
- To have a better sense of how many teachers are being produced per province as a benchmark.
- For staffing needs
- For growth and popularity of programs (how to make French immersion sustainable in terms of demand, etc.)
