Schools across Ontario seeing 'extreme' teaching staff shortages: survey

Staffing shortages at Ontario schools have become an “incipient crisis,” People For Education's executive director says, as a new report reveals that more than a quarter of all schools in the province now face teaching staff shortages on a daily basis.

In its 2023-2024 Annual Ontario School Survey, People for Education found that 24 per cent of elementary schools and 35 per cent of secondary schools report facing teaching staff shortages every single day.

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When it comes to educational support staff, including educational assistants (EAs), 42 per cent of elementary schools and 46 per cent of secondary schools say they face daily shortages.

About 18 per cent of elementary and 28 per cent of secondary schools said they experience office staff shortages daily or weekly, while shortages of administrative staff, including vice-principals, occur at least once a month for 25 per cent of elementary schools and 38 per cent of secondary schools.

Approximately two-thirds of elementary school principals and more than half of secondary school principals surveyed reported being forced to ask parents to keep their children with special needs home for the day due to staffing shortages.

“Principals named safety concerns and unavailable supports as the main reasons for asking that special education students not attend school for all or part of the day,” the report stated.

'Unqualified individuals' filling in

Annie Kidder, the executive director for People For Education, told CP24 Monday that they were surprised to find just how “extreme” the staffing shortages are.

“I think what’s concerning is principals talk about everyday having to kind of scramble to make sure that classes have the teachers they need and, in particular, the educational assistants that they need,” she said.

She said the overwhelming message from principals surveyed is that not enough people are paying attention to the issue.

“There is a sense out there that we are not paying enough attention to this insipient crisis in schools,” she said.

“Sometimes principals are scrambling to find sort of nearly any warm body to make sure that there is an adult there in class.”

According to the report, principals surveyed said it has become “increasingly common” to employ “unqualified individuals” to cover absences, which raises concerns about student learning and safety.

The difficulty in keeping EAs in the classroom boils down to salary, some principals said. The average median hourly wage for educational assistants in Ontario is $24, according to data from Statistics Canada.

Kidder said not enough is being done systemically to address the worsening situation.

In response to the report, a spokesperson for Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province has implemented a “suite of actions” to address future population growth and the “increasing number of retiring teachers in the sector.”

“Since 2018, we have supported the hiring of 7,500 staff, including 3,000 additional educators, along with halving certification timelines for domestic and international teacher candidates. The government has permanently allowed second-year teaching candidates to work in schools faster and revoked hiring based on seniority rather than merit,” the statement read.

“And we have called on the Ontario Teachers’ Federation to reinstate a short-term measure to get qualified, retired teachers in classrooms. We will continue to advance short and long-term reforms to ensure certified educators are supporting students as we get back-to-basics in the classroom.”

Kidder said there are a number of things the Ontario government should do now to help improve teacher shortages, including convening a task force with representatives from teacher, principal, and education support staff associations, as well as school board administrators, faculties of education, special education organizations, provincial policymakers, and students.

“It is really time to appoint a task force,” she said. “We have been calling on this since the beginning of the pandemic.”

People For Education is also asking for adjustments to the per pupil funding allocations to allow for proper funding for EAs. More cash should also be provided to boost salaries for EAs, the group said.