New SMU education programs, faster B.Eds. aim to increase teacher supply

Frances Willick · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

New and accelerated acquisition programs could boost the teacher proviso successful the state by expanding the fig of caller graduates.

New backing agreements signed betwixt each assemblage and the state amusement Saint Mary's University has pitched 2 caller acquisition degrees and different schools could tighten the timelines for their bachelor of acquisition degrees.

Some of the ideas included successful the agreements include:

• Saint Mary's processing a new four-year bachelor of arts in acquisition and a caller bachelor of subject successful education.
• Acadia University, Mount Saint Vincent University, St. Francis Xavier University and Université Sainte-Anne exploring eight-month, 12-month and 100 per cent virtual bachelor of education programs, and a four-year integrated program.
• MSVU partnering with Université Sainte-Anne to connection French-speaking B.Ed. students a accidental to instrumentality B.Ed. courses successful French.
• St. FX offering an off-campus B.Ed. successful the Yarmouth/Shelburne/Digby area.
• St. FX processing a concurrent BA/B.Ed. implicit 5 years.
• St. FX reducing different off-campus B.Ed. programs from 34 months to 30 oregon 26 months.

The Advanced Education Department, on with the Education and Early Childhood Development Department, declined an interrogation request, but said successful a associated connection that Nova Scotia's classrooms are afloat staffed this schoolhouse year, but for a tiny fig of specialty positions.

But that could beryllium poised to change.

"To support gait with colonisation growth, Nova Scotia volition request much teachers, and we are taking a proactive attack to guarantee our proviso of teachers continues to conscionable our demand," the connection said.

Over the past 3 years, 500 students connected mean person started B.Ed. programs successful Nova Scotia, and successful 2025-26, much than 600 seats are expected to beryllium available, the connection said.

New programs

The projected four-year bachelor of arts successful acquisition and bachelor of subject successful acquisition astatine SMU would nutrient teachers and beryllium equivalent to a B.Ed. combined with undergraduate studies. The programme would let graduates to suffice to get their teaching licence.

A spokesperson for SMU declined an interrogation petition astir the projected programs, saying successful a connection that the assemblage is successful the process of replying to the government's petition for much information.

The four-year integrated B.Ed. programme suggested for Acadia, MSVU, St. FX and Université Sainte-Anne would let students to get an acquisition grade and decorativeness teacher grooming wrong a four-year degree, alternatively of doing an undergrad and acquisition grade separately.

Expedited programs available

The state has already taken steps to accelerate the timeline for completing immoderate B.Ed. programs.

Acadia and Université Sainte-Anne connection 16-month programs, MSVU offers a 14-month option, and Cape Breton University offers a pilot eight-month online degree and has reduced its in-person teaching grade from 15 months to 12 months, opening this spring.

The state besides wants to make changes so universities tin see applicants to B.Ed. programs after conscionable 2 years of undergraduate study, alternatively than aft completing an full undergrad degree.

However, that alteration indispensable beryllium approved by some the authorities and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, and the NSTU has not yet supported that change, the departments said.

NSTU president Peter Day said the national is unfastened to discussing changes to teacher certification requirements "through a teacher retention and recruitment lens."

"Nova Scotia families expect their children's teachers to beryllium decently qualified for the job. Ensuring that each teachers and specialists person the due grooming arsenic classrooms go progressively analyzable is critical," helium said.

The state says the departments person besides tried to conscionable the request for teachers by adding 75 B.Ed. seats astatine CBU, giving aboriginal offers of employment to graduates truthful they cognize they person a guaranteed occupation successful the province, and giving preferred admittance to B.Ed. programs to Nova Scotian students.

NSTU reacts

Day said the national is supportive of shorter clip frames for B.Ed. programs as agelong arsenic the people credits and applicable hours are not reduced.

But, helium said, there's different cardinal origin successful the teacher shortage that won't beryllium fixed by the accelerated grade timelines: retention.

Day said one-third of teachers permission the assemblage successful the archetypal 5 years owed to issues similar workload, people size and schoolhouse violence. The shortage of specialists similar counsellors, behavioural specialists, schoolhouse psychologists and code connection pathologists besides makes classrooms much complex, helium said.

"Retention is simply a large concern," Day said. "And, you know, if the universities privation to pump retired each these caller teachers lone to person them permission the assemblage due to the fact that they're not decently supported erstwhile they get successful the job, I deliberation that would beryllium a very, precise existent shame."

Day said there are teaching and specializer positions that were posted successful September that person yet to beryllium filled.