'Alarming' number of teachers to retire in coming years, NBTA says

The New Brunswick Teachers' Association is warning of the potential for crisis in anglophone schools, as more than 1,000 teachers are projected to retire out of the system in the next five years. 

There are currently about 6,500 members of the association, which represents those employed in the province's anglophone schools, said NBTA president Peter Lagacy. 

"Teachers are stretched really, really thin right now," he said in Fredericton on Friday. "Not having enough resources at times can really be draining. That is certainly what I'm hearing from a lot of teachers around the province." 

It's a problem the association expects to get worse in the coming years. 

"It's just a little over 1,200, I believe, that will be eligible to retire in five years," Lagacy said. "That's an alarming number when we look at how many we have coming into the system."

He did not have an estimate for how many teachers would be hired over that same period,

However, he noted the availability of supply teachers, who can backfill or be promoted to teacher roles, is another concern — with just 164 in the system now under the age of 50. 

There are also about 1,100 staff on a "local permit," which allows those without an education degree to work in teaching roles, he added.

"We need action, it's an urgent call for action with all government agencies ... to be able to focus on this issue so we don't have a real crisis in three to five years," he said.

Members of the association were in Fredericton for a two-day annual general meeting on Friday.

Education Minister Bill Hogan was on site and told reporters his department is working on a "recruitment and retention strategy" to address those concerns. 

"I don't disagree that looking at perhaps 1,200 teachers retiring over the next five years is definitely a challenge," Hogan said.

While other provinces face resource shortfalls, New Brunswick is unique in that some universities aren't filling all of their education program seats, he said.

Hogan said he's meeting with schools to look at options such as summer courses and "earn and learn" programs, where those working on a local permit also take bachelor of education courses. 

Losing qualified teachers to other provinces is also an issue, he said. 

"We're going to empower districts, because districts do the hiring, to give contracts right away. And we'll ensure that the money is there for the contracts."

A University of New Brunswick study published in January also warns of a "wave of teacher retirements in the near future." 

A team led by professor Ted McDonald found 48 per cent of New Brunswick's bachelor of education graduates between 2004 and 2020 became teachers in the province.

It also found two to three per cent of teachers are leaving the profession yearly.  

Just 11 per cent of graduates from other Canadian provinces, and 10 per cent from other countries, remain in New Brunswick after graduation.