Occasional/Substitute/Supply Teachers

[Johnny Au]

A rising number of teachers calling in sick and a shortage of supply staff available to replace them is creating an “untenable” situation for schools, and reflects a growing problem across the province, says Toronto’s Catholic board.

Read the rest of the article: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-wreaks-havoc-in-schools-across-province.html

Here are some letters: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/let...whats-behind-shortage-of-supply-teachers.html

The first letter is about union "greed" (which I disagree with) and the second is about religious requirements to teach in the Catholic boards (which I agree with).

Here's an article about the life of a substitute teacher: https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/06/09/life_as_a_supply_teacher_in_demand_but_on_edge.html

With Ford's plans to cut education funding, there will be a greater shortage of substitute teachers. In Ontario, substitute teachers must have proper teaching credentials.

I believe that substitute teachers need to be able to teach a subject well (and have at least a degree in the pertinent field of study) and be able to handle pressure, especially from students who love to play practical jokes with substitute teachers; having a teaching degree has much higher priority. In the United States, practically any willing adult with a clean criminal record can become a substitute teacher (those some states are stricter than others): http://www.qnet.com/~rsturgn/become1.htm

In Ontario's case, school boards will only adopt the American case only in extreme emergencies if there are no available substitute teachers with proper credentials (even having regular teachers performing double duty are higher priority than having practically any willing adult with a clean criminal record be a substitute teacher).

What do you think?