In a province desperate for French teachers, a program to train them struggles to recruit students

A program at the University of Prince Edward Island that trains French teachers is only about half-full, despite a nationwide shortage of French teachers.

Schools in Prince Edward Island and across Canada have been struggling for years to find French teachers. 

Despite that, UPEI filled only about half of the 30 spots in its one-year French second-language bachelor of education program this year, because people just didn't apply. 

"Every year, we wonder how can we recruit, what are students looking for, what do they want? How can we bring them here to UPEI? How can we bring them into teaching?" said Elizabeth Blake, the program's co-ordinator. 

There are bursaries and signing bonuses to entice new French teachers, Blake said.

"If you have the necessary skills and desire to teach, the boards are looking to hire," she said. 

Give students opportunity to learn in French

P.E.I. has one of the highest rates in Canada of students taking French immersion. UPEI hopes more of these students will end up becoming teachers, like Nick Reeves, who is now doing his practicum at his old school.

Like myself, I'm a second-language learner, and I try to explain that to my students – look, if I can do it, you can do it.— Rebecca Adams, French teacher

"Canada is bilingual. You might as well be pushing that other language here, especially in the Maritimes, where there's a lot of French-speaking communities," Reeves said.

"I think it's really important for those who want to be French teachers to stay in it, to give the opportunity for these students to learn in French."

Teacher Rebecca Adams taught Reeves in Grade 12 when she herself was a student teacher. She thinks some potential teachers lack the confidence to try teaching in French. 

"I think we need to promote more that second-language learners can become French immersion teachers and that it doesn't have to necessarily just be French-first-speaking people who can come into French immersion classrooms," Adams said. 

"Like myself, I'm a second-language learner, and I try to explain that to my students — look, if I can do it, you can do it."

International recruitment planned

The Public Schools Branch and the province's French-language school board hired about 40 new French teachers last year, and say more will be needed next year.

The French school board is offering a $5,000 study bursary for people who sign on to work with them. It was eventually able to find the teachers it needed last year, but officials say that wasn't easy.

The province already knows there won't be enough applicants from local programs to fill the need for teachers down the road, so officials have also planned international recruitment trips.

Meanwhile, UPEI still has more than a dozen seats left for its program, which begins again in May. 

"It's very concerning… The shortage of French teachers here in P.E.I., Canada-wide, is getting to a point where, are we going to have to change how we teach and what we teach?" UPEI's Blake said.