Ontario to cut length of teacher education programs nearly in half

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Prospective teachers in Ontario will soon have to spend less time in university classrooms and more time learning on the job during practicum placements as the Ford government moves to cut the length of teacher education programs nearly in half.

Minister of Education Paul Calandra and Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn made the announcement during a press conference on Friday afternoon, noting that the move is intended, in part, to help address a growing teacher shortage in Ontario.

They said that under new legislation, which will be tabled next week, all universities in Ontario that offer a teacher education program would have to adopt a one-year model that will span three semesters starting in May 2027.

At the same time, the province says that it will “prioritize practical, in-classroom learning” by establishing a new minimum standard for the length of practicum placements.

The current model for teacher education programs is four semesters spread over two years and the government says that shortening the length of the program will save students up to $3,000 in tuition.

“This change will get future teachers into the classroom faster, jumpstarting fulfilling careers and meeting the needs of communities across Ontario,” Quinn said.

Prospective teachers in Ontario are currently required to complete at least 80 days of practicum placement to obtain their teaching licence.

However, Calandra said that the standard is “absolutely not long enough.”

“They have to be in front of a classroom for a longer period of time,” he said. “The goal is to make it one of the highest practicums in the country and I think that will lead to better results for our student teachers.”

The proposed changes will apply to all 14 public universities and three private universities which offer teaching programs in Ontario.

The government says that it will also “explore opportunities to recognize relevant prior learning and work experience for individuals pursuing a teaching career, including early childhood educator diplomas or youth work experience.”

In an interview with CTV News Toronto on Friday, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario first Vice President Shirley Bell called the proposed changes a “partial good news story.”

Bell, however, said that the Ford government needs to make real investments in reducing class sizes and hiring additional support workers to help support higher needs children if it is serious about beginning to address the teacher shortage.

“Recruiting teachers earlier and getting more teachers into the system is great and shortening the program to one year I think helps increase some diversity in our teacher candidates because it allows some financial barriers to be dropped. But I think the biggest issue is not just recruitment, but it is retention,” she said.

“That is the biggest issue we have, retaining the teachers we have. They leave pretty quickly upon entering into the school system and this does not address the real working conditions of the teachers in the system and other educators.”

The Ontario College of Teachers has previously said that there are currently 76,000 qualified teachers in the province who are not currently teaching.

Meanwhile, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) said in a statement that although it has “long supported” a 12-month program delivered over three semesters, it was “disappointed” that the ministers did not consult them on the changes.

“We expect that the changes announced today will be followed up with sufficient supports for Faculties of Education to adapt to what are complex program changes contemplated in a very short time period,” Chris Cowley, OTF president, said. “We are concerned that the announced timelines for implementation will not be feasible.”

In 2024, a report from the think-tank People for Education said that 24 per cent of elementary and 35 per cent of secondary schools report facing daily shortages in teaching staff amid this backdrop. The report said that 42 per cent of elementary and 46 per cent of secondary schools reported facing daily shortages in educational support staff.

“This only opens the front door and right now teachers are walking out the back door,” Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation President Martha Hradowy told CTV News Toronto. “To me, this isn’t a pipeline problem; it is a retention crisis.”