The President of the BC Teachers Federations says a new contract has to address a ‘critical teacher shortage’ in the province.

Teri Mooring says there were about 500 vacant positions across the province at the end of last month, adding low salaries make it harder to attract teachers into B.C.

“What that means is that teachers that might be available in Ontario or other places in Canada are probably not going to come to B.C. when you put in the cost of living on top of the low wages,” she said. “And so the low wages are definitely a barrier to have enough teachers.”

Mooring says B.C. has the second lowest teacher salaries in Canada, and second lowest in Western Canada, adding the shortages can come with its own consequences.

“Including specialist teachers being pulled from their roles,” she added. “Whether it be counselors working with students or learning support teachers working with students, pulled from those roles to fill in the classrooms, and so that makes it difficult on the entire system and really difficult on students.”

Mooring says it’s especially concerning in North Central B.C. and on the North Coast, where there are not enough teachers to fill classrooms.

On Friday afternoon, mediated talks between the BCTF and the BCPSEA were paused until the fourth week of September. Teachers have been without a contract since July 1.