Image Credit: CFJC Today/File

By Adel Ahmed

School District 73

School District 73 not impacted by province-wide teacher shortage

Aug 31, 2023 | 4:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — While teacher shortages are having an impact on schools across B.C., that is not the case in Kamloops.

School District 73 said Thursday (August 31) it has a healthy roster of teachers. That includes the ability to recruit up-and-coming teachers from Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) education programs.

“We are able to actually recruit almost directly from the university,” Superintendent Rhonda Nixon told CFJC Today. “We meet with the candidates and interview them early. We’re able to hire all the teachers we need. I hate to say that for some of my colleagues who can’t do it right now but we’re in a fortunate position.”

Nixon adds there was a teacher shortage earlier this year in Blue River. However, after proposing a hiring incentive to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, that was resolved.

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“That actually made a big difference,” said Nixon. “That problem solving that we engaged in with the Ministry and with [British Columbia Public School Employers Association] resulted in a number of strategies, one being a hiring incentive that we feel our northern colleagues especially who were expressing extreme concern that they needed.”

While the province continues to search for more teachers, a recent survey from the B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) say 64% of teachers claim their workload is greater now compared to a year ago.