Ontario likely to see non-tech teachers in new mandatory tech education classes

Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s announcement last year mandated that all the high school students from September 2024 to take a course on technology and the skilled trades in Grade 9 or 10 in order to graduate.

But Ontario's new option to allow principals to assign teachers with general education qualifications, without tech qualifications, to teach those courses for the next year indicates the province’s ill-preparedness for the new mandatory nature of those classes.

Ontario Principals Council president Ralph Nigro was reported saying that before adding in new mandatory requirements for students to take those courses, the present shortage of teachers, let alone a shortage of tech-specific teachers, should have been looked into.

“The introduction of the courses is something that we are generally very supportive of, but I think there needs to be some other steps taken before they are rolled out, like creating additional spots in teacher education programs for tech teachers,” Nigro said in an interview.

“It appears that that didn’t happen and when you factor in … teacher shortages for a number of years, we’re very worried about having enough people in place.”

Isha Chaudhuri, a spokesperson for Lecce said action to recruit and retain qualified educators across Ontario has been taken by the government.

“We have enabled school boards to hire more skilled trades professionals with hands-on experience, along with ensuring introductory courses can be taught by more educators in schools,” Chaudhuri said in a statement.

“By doing so, students will learn through Ontario’s modernized curriculum that emphasizes life skills, STEM, skilled trades and back-to-basics education.”

(Reported by Asha Bajaj)