“I am against the idea of patenting at a discount,” declared the Dean of the Faculty of Education at UQAM Jean Belanger bluntly. Quebec Journal In February 2023.
As president of the Association representing the Deans of Academic Faculties (ADÉREQ), Jean Bélanger responded to the seven priorities of Minister Bernard Trinville (including the creation of a fast track).
Dean wasn't hiding it: he was Very confusing
believed that It was going too fast
. Expulsion of Minister Trineville had an electric shock effect
He agrees.
Despite his reluctance, the man with more than 20 years of experience in the UQAM education sector wanted to fight against the teacher shortage. Not anyway
He mentions.
Jean Bélanger called on all faculty professors: something must be done. I raised my hand and things fell into place very quickly
Elaine Turgeon, Director of the Undergraduate Program in Preschool and Elementary Education (ÉPEP) says:
Elaine Turgeon helped design the new UQAM program, which has been approved locally for an official start in fall 2024.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Patrick Andre Perron
We had this desire to help and contribute in our own way
she adds.
[Si on ne fait pas ça]We take a risk when we leave untrained people in classes [leurs élèves] Don't do the necessary learning, they fall behind and we have a social problem.
Elaine, it really is The idea behind the project
Jean Belanger insists.
Thus was born UQAM's Diploma in Special Higher Education (DESS), 30 credits, part-time over two years. This will be the first scheme to implement teachers quickly to qualify
Through training delivered in person rather than completely remotely like other options available.
TÉLUQ offers a 30-credit program that qualifies non-legally qualified teachers who already teach in elementary school, but training is provided entirely remotely. The same is the case with the University of Quebec's Fast Track at Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), which is aimed at secondary education.
However, the training courses at UQAM, TÉLUQ and UQAT have one thing in common: they concern teachers without legal qualifications, that is, teachers already employed in the school network.
According to the most recent figures compiled by the Ministry of Education, more than 7,000 people without legal qualifications currently have full-time or part-time contracts. Including replacements, the number rises to 30,000, according to Quebec's auditor general.
With these people, we can move much more quickly than with CEGEP leavers, 19-year-olds and elementary school classes, and elementary school students with no experience.
Elaine Turgeon explains.
This is practical training
She continues.
Must be accepted at UQAM in future Copyrighted
Must already have a bachelor's degree and must be selected by the School Service Center to work with at least 60% workload.
Currently, the Pointe-de-l'Île School Service Center (CCSSPI) is the only school service center partnered with UQAM in this project.
Promising results, according to UQAM and CSSPI
Eight students have participated in a pilot program since the end of summer 2023, making it possible to refine the program to be offered in the fall. They are all legally unqualified teachers at the CSSPI school east of Montreal.
According to CSSPI the formula chosen by UQAM offers a unique advantage: students are supervised by the university's board. After the lessons are over they are not left to their own devices provided
or video clips I asked
. About twenty professors from UQAM oversee the future Copyrighted
Even in their classes. In other words: not everything rests on the shoulders of already overloaded CSSPI school teams.
This is called supervised practice.
, explains Elaine Turgeon. Instead of being in the traditional logic of 45 hours of single-theme courses, the program is made up of multidisciplinary courses built around the highlights of the entire school year, such as preparing for exams and submitting report cards, he adds.
It's not just about getting the paper, it's about making sure this legal qualification is linked to skill development. […] With all the rigor required of a university education
CSSPI's Deputy Director General Martin Duquette explains.
Is our program unique at UQAM? I think so. We've found a formula that works for us and it's working well so far.
Martin Duquette takes the liberty of calling for greater flexibility on the part of universities, to be careful not to shoot the arrow at universities that still oppose shorter courses.
Martin Duquette, Deputy Director General of the Pointe-de-l'Île School Service Center (CCSSPI).
Photo: Radio-Canada / Patrick Andre Perron
It's not about leveling, it's about maintaining standards, but having the flexibility to reflect today's reality
he said.
A plan “tailored to my needs”
The relevance of this flexibility is something Nasima Menour, one of the eight students in the UQAM pilot program, knows something about.
This Algerian native, who has already taught three classes at CSSPI and wants to qualify as a teacher, is also a mother of three.
Trained as a hydrogeologist engineer like her husband, she came to Quebec with her family in 2009. Knowing full well that there was a dire need for labor there, he ventured into the education sector.
Nasima soon fell in love with working with children and developed a desire to become a primary school teacher. During an interview for a job as a substitute teacher, CSSPI immediately recommended that she get her teaching certificate.
I said to myself: This is impossible! I can't finish my bachelor's degree, family and work are too much. […] It is going to stop at the alternate location
she says.
But when he heard about a 30-credit pilot program established by UQAM, he jumped at the offer.
There, I said to myself: This is an opportunity like never before, we must not miss it!
He appreciates the personal support provided by the UQAM teaching staff. “My questions are answered quickly, and I can implement quickly in class. »
Nasima Menor is delighted with the first courses taken so far in this new UQAM program and the support provided.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Patrick Andre Perron
It is truly a program designed for me and my needs. This training will equip me and allow me to practice my job 100% and provide quality service.
Respect the quality of training and qualify quickly
According to Martin Duquette, the challenge is to train realistically, and given their already busy schedules, these Awesome people raise their hands
.
Because they will become more and more valuable in the years to come.
We haven't seen anything on the deficit yet.
Elaine Turgeon teaches pilot program participants, including Nazima Menor, on Saturday afternoon.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Patrick Andre Perron
According to the latest projections from the Ministry of Education, combining the current number of teacher graduates and the increase in pensions, more than 14,000 teachers, 6000 of them full-time or part-time, will be missing within four years. , or an average of 3,600 each year.
Jean Bélanger, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at UQAM, dreams of qualifying nearly a hundred teachers a year through this new program. A modest number, he admits, but realistic to ensure the quality of training, it is significantly shorter.
UQAM is in the process of revamping its undergraduate program leading to preschool and elementary school teaching certification.
There may be a faster way, but it may not sacrifice the objective of ensuring that the so-called qualified actually have the qualifications they are supposed to have. I will not let go of this piece
He continues.
We agreed to take the risk of going so quickly because we were pushed behind our backs, but cleaning probably should be done in all plans. [créés au Québec depuis la sortie du ministre Drainville]
He warns.
An amendment was added to Bill 23 – Minister Bernard Trinville's major education reform – to allow short courses at UQAT, TÉLUQ and UQAM to lead to a teaching certificate.
Graduates are first issued with a probationary teaching license. According to information shared by the Ministry of Education, they must complete a probationary period of 600 to 900 hours under the responsibility of their employer before receiving their teaching certificate.
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