Ontario considering change to length of teachers’ college, documents suggest [Video]

The Ontario government is considering shortening the length of teachers’ college in order to address a worsening shortage of educators, documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest.

A freedom-of-information request on teacher supply and demand came back with research and jurisdictional scans the Ministry of Education conducted last year on the supply issue and the length of initial teacher education programs.

Highlighted in the summary of the document on teachers’ college are findings that longer programs do not make better teachers.

“There is little evidence that the amount of course work in ITE (initial teacher education) makes a difference in teachers’ effectiveness when they enter the profession,” the document says.

Real in-class experience, however, does appear to make a difference.

“Literature research shows that teachers who complete longer practicums feel better prepared and are more likely to stay in the profession,” the document says.

Ontario teachers’ college programs are typically …