The shortage of personnel aggravates in Quebec public schools, while the proportion of vacant positions is higher than in such a date last year. However, the situation is not about to improve, since school service centers slow down their recruitment efforts due to compressions, report school departments.
More than 5000 teachers, support staff and professionals are now available, which represents 3.4% of positions in the public school network, according to the latest figures available in the dashboard of the Ministry of the Education, which date from January 8, 2025.
This is an increase compared to last year, while the proportion of vacant posts amounted to 2.5% in January 2024.
The increase is felt in all categories of jobs, but it is among the professionals that the shortage hurts the most, while almost 13% of the positions are now vacant (see details lower).
“We have seen it since the holidays, we have a lot of staff who are away. The problem is getting worse, and we do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, “says Kathleen Legault, president of the Montreal association of school establishments.
Recruitment efforts hampered due to the compressions
The situation is likely to get worse in the coming weeks, since “several service centers have said that they were going to stop looking” to provide vacancies due to the compressions imposed by Quebec since mid-December, reports Mme Legault.
“This is how they will succeed in cutting what the government claims,” she explains. If we have not found a psychologist since the beginning of the year, we will stop looking. It is still very discouraging and very disturbing. It’s as if we lowered your arms. “
The recruitment of teachers would however not be targeted by this orientation, which mainly concerns support staff and professional staff, she specifies.
The sound of bell is not more optimistic on the side of the Quebec Federation of Directions for Education Establishment, where the shortage is the “number one priority” of the members, indicates its president, Nicolas Prévost.
-“It will still deteriorate by the end of the year and for the coming years,” he drops.
The salary increases granted to school staff in recent years have failed to reverse the trend, since the task is still as heavy, he deplores.
“It does not improve, because we do not tackle at the bottom of the problem,” adds Mr. Prévost.
The uncertainty concerning the budgetary situation beyond March 31, weighs so heavy on the shoulders of school staff, adds Mr.me Legault. “We manage short -see. How can we plan and use public funds well when we have no idea of the budgetary environment within six months? ”
Vacant posts in public schools
| Number (January 2024) | Proportion (January 2024) | Number (January 2025) | Proportion (January 2025) | |
| Teaching staff | 1094 | 1,2% | 1961 | 1,9% |
| Supporting staff | 1610 | 4,7% | 2314 | 5,6% |
| Professional staff | 460 | 10,9% | 814 | 12,8% |
| Total | 3164 | 2,5% | 5089 | 3,4% |
Source: Ministry of Education
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