Over 4,800 positions in Quebec schools remain unfilled, including over 1,500 teachers

Students of Maisonneuve primary school are welcomed back to school in Montreal, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

Even though there are fewer teachers to find now that the school year has begun, there are still nearly 5,000 vacant positions in the education system.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville provided an update on the situation on Wednesday morning, attempting to be reassuring.

“I hope the unions are happy because they have every reason to be,” he said at a news scrum before heading to the cabinet meeting. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t any issues.”

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As of Monday, Aug. 25, there were 1,509 teaching positions to be filled. Similarly, there were still 2,828 support staff positions to be filled, as well as 517 professional staff positions, for a total of 4,854.

However, the situation has improved. As of Aug. 11, there were 4,115 teaching positions still to be filled.

Statistically, 98 per cent of teaching positions are currently filled, argued Drainville, noting that it is impossible to reach 100 per cent because of sick leave, relocations, unforeseen circumstances, etc.

Even though there are still 1,509 teaching positions to be filled, no group of students will be left without supervision, he assured.

“There will definitely be someone in the classroom,” he said.

If they do not hold a teaching certificate, they will at least be university graduates or hold a college diploma (DEC), but in that case, “it is extremely marginal,” the minister assured.

He estimates that about 10 per cent of teachers do not have a certificate, but official data will be available in October.

Earlier in August, the CSQ had lamented the uncertainty in which its members and parents were plunged.

This was because the minister had announced budget cuts of $570 million in June, only to backtrack in the face of public outcry and reinvest $540 million in July.

However, the CSQ was concerned that the funds would not be paid out until October, which would be too late to hire professionals and support staff before the start of the school year.

Teachers would end up with “classes that are packed to the brim,” not to mention students who have adjustment or learning difficulties and therefore need more support, said Richard Bergevin, president of the Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement, which represents 95,000 preschool, primary and secondary school teachers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 27, 2025.