NOVEMBER 26, 1999
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THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA NOVEMBER 26, 1999 |
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by Dr. Bruce HoweStudents graduating this fall with an education qualification can look forward to abundant job opportunities in teaching as we move into the new millennium. Authors of a recent study commissioned by a consortium of B.C. education groups warn that the province is not graduating enough teachers to replace the large group now approaching retirement in the province. This is not only a local concern but is true across Canada, the U.S. and many other countries, including Australia and the U.K. While the student population remains fairly constant and is predicted to continue to be much the same for the next several years, the average age of teachers in B.C. has risen from 36 years in 1975 to 45 in 1999, with more than 50 per cent being 45 years-old and over. This age bulge is also reflected in the most common age of teachers — in 1975 it was 28 years, compared to 52 years in 1999. Further, more than 3,200 teachers (not including current administrators) are over 55 years-old and will soon be able to retire normally or take advantage of early retirement schemes. At this time, the average age of teacher retirement in B.C. is just under 59 years. There is still a fairly large pool of teachers on call but these are mostly located in the large urban districts, tend to be place-bound, and are frequently not seeking permanent employment. The need for teachers is not consistent over regions, levels, gender, ethnicity, and subject areas. Rural districts have greater difficulty recruiting over city and urban districts despite the fact that the student populations are dropping rapidly. The secondary level is facing the more |
| severe shortages, and the teaching areas of greatest concern are chemistry, math, physics, technology, languages, home economics and music.
The problems are less severe at the elementary level, but teachers are required in English-as-a-second-language (ESL), French and other languages, special needs children and generalists with experience in music. Special concerns include a chronic shortage of First Nations and visible minority teachers in some districts. Interestingly, gender distribution has also become an issue as the number of male elementary teachers has declined dramatically in the past 10 years. At the secondary school level, this trend varies by subject area. For example, in the sciences and math, more than 70 per cent of teachers are male. These imbalances point to a need for programs designed for targeted groups in the short term. These circumstances are challenging all universities, and UVic is no exception. Further, like the school system itself, UVic’s faculty of education has an aging population and expects a 40 per cent retirement of current faculty by 2005. Our priority is to recruit teachers in areas of need. Specifically, we have to: attract more men to the elementary school level and women to science areas at the secondary level; provide for a more even distribution of teachers in special areas, such as female teachers of math and science at the secondary level; and connect with special groups, such as ESL teachers, particularly in many of the urban areas, and First Nations and visible minorities teachers for all school levels. Dr. Bruce Howe is dean of UVic’s faculty of education.Views expressed on this page are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of The Ring or the University of Victoria. The Ring welcomes your views on the above article, or any other issue of interest to the UVic community. Submissions for Viewpoint or Letters to the Editor can be sent to the editor, UVic communications services, Sedgewick C149, fax 721-8955, or e-mail: vshore@uvic.ca. |
