Teacher Certification in Canada

Current methods of certifying teachers are not able to meet coming shortages. An alternative certification pioneered in New Jersey offers a way out.
Published on September 18, 2006

 

Executive Summary

  • Provincial teacher certification requirements are relatively uniform across the country—they all require teachers to have undergone a teacher education program at a university or college.
  • Manitoba, along with other provinces, is facing a teacher shortage—particularly in specialty subject areas such as mathematics and science. Due to a large number of impending retirements, this situation will likely become worse.
  • Research indicates that teacher education programs make little difference in the educational effectiveness of a teacher.
  • Over 40 states have implemented alternative certification models. Alternatively certified teachers generally have lower attrition rates, stronger academic backgrounds and more extensive work experience than traditional teacher education graduates.
  • Alternative certification programs have made it possible to staff schools with a larger representation of visible minority teachers.
  • New Jersey has implemented a complete reform of its teacher certification system. All teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree, pass the National Teachers Exam in their subject area, and complete a mentor-guided, school-based practicum. These regulations apply both to traditionally educated and alternatively certified teachers.
  • No emergency teaching credentials have been issued in New Jersey since 1985. In addition, teachers are not required to teach outside of their specialty fields.
  • Manitoba should implement a teacher certification system based upon the New Jersey model.

 

Complete Backgrounder in PDF

 

Featured News

MORE NEWS

How DEI Is Hijacking The Future Of Legal Education

How DEI Is Hijacking The Future Of Legal Education

Senior Fellow Collin May spotlights Ilya Shapiro’s claim that DEI is warping legal education into activism training. Ideological conformity is replacing rigour, threatening free speech, legal neutrality, and the rule of law itself.

Teacher’s Striking

Teacher’s Striking

  In a recent Frontier commentary, Michael Zwaagstra argues that teacher strikes, such as those seen in Saskatchewan, unfairly disrupt student learning and should be replaced by binding arbitration—a system already in place in Manitoba. He contends that strikes...

Sick Of Teacher Strikes? There’s A Better Way

Sick Of Teacher Strikes? There’s A Better Way

Senior Fellow Michael Zwaagstra says it’s time to ban teacher strikes in Saskatchewan. Students shouldn’t be collateral damage. Binding arbitration works in Manitoba—so what’s the excuse here?