New certificate helps province address COVID-19-related teacher shortage

February 01 2021

(Toronto) - The Council of the Ontario College of Teachers endorsed the creation of a Temporary Certificate to enable faculty of education students to begin teaching earlier as a partial solution to Ontario’s teaching shortage.

Council recommended the regulatory change to the Minister of Education during a special meeting of Council in December.

Students who are enrolled in an accredited Ontario teacher education program and are expected to complete their program in 2021 can apply. Teachers certified in other Canadian provinces can also apply.

The certificate would be a limited-time, emergency measure designed to address severe teacher shortages in Ontario’s public school system caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Further details will be released as more information becomes available.

“These are extraordinary times and this emergency measure will enable rapid deployment of staff to make staffing stable across the province,” says College Registrar Dr. Derek Haime, OCT.

In December, the College released its annual Transition to Teaching survey highlighting recent employment trends in education in Ontario.

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The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates the profession of teaching in the public interest. It sets standards of practice and ethical standards, conducts disciplinary hearings and accredits teacher education programs affecting more than 234,000 members in publicly funded schools and institutions across Ontario. The College is Canada’s largest self-regulatory body.

For more information or to see other College advisories, go to oct.ca or contact:

Gabrielle Barkany, OCT, Senior Communications Officer (Bilingual)
416-961-8800, ext. 621
Toll-free 1-888-534-2222, ext. 621

Olivia Yu, Senior Communications Officer
416-961-8800, ext. 620
Toll-free 1-888-534-2222, ext. 620