Recently, shorter teacher certification programs have been introduced in different Canadian provinces.

These programs are being implemented in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec.

The move towards shorter or “fast-track” teacher education programs in Canada, where candidates complete a short post-graduate qualification after an undergraduate degree, follows trends seen across OECD countries including Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Norway and the U.S.

Some of these programs are targeted at upskilling the high number of unqualified or unlicenced teachers already teaching in Canadian schools, while many fast-track routes are offered to people who hold non-teaching undergraduate degrees and wish to become teachers.

Shorter teacher education programs are seen as more accessible. As the Ontario government has emphasized, they also reduce the cost of becoming a teacher for both individuals and governments.

At a time when policymakers are concerned about teacher shortages across the country, the Nova Scotia government has also underlined how shorter teacher education programs will educate “more” teachers in order to “meet the needs of students.”

In Ontario, the province has argued the changes will “strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled K-12 teachers.”

Devaluing teacher........

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