2,600 teacher candidate spaces added in Ontario [Video]

Ontario is adding 2,600 spaces to teachers colleges across the province as it stares down a worsening teacher shortage, a move unions say is welcome though will not in isolation solve the problem.

The budget tabled last week by Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy contained a brief reference to spending $55.8 million over two years to train those new teachers by 2027.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn said the money will go toward adding new spaces at all schools offering a bachelor of education program and will start to be available as early as this September.

“There’s obviously a growth in the elementary and secondary school population with some of the immigration and asylum that has come to Canada, but recognizing that we do have a shortage of teachers into the future, this will provide about 2,600 new teaching seats,” Quinn said in an interview.

There is also a particular …