Ontario Announces $55.8 Million Investment to Expand Teacher Training Seats at Universities
The Ontario government announced on June 20 that it will provide $55.8 million in funding to expand teacher training capacity at publicly funded universities. According to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, this investment is intended to train up to 2,600 new teachers by 2027, with a focus on underserved and remote communities experiencing staffing shortages.
The initiative aims to address shortages in specific teaching areas, including French-language, technological education, and instruction in rural and remote regions. Funding will be allocated to thirteen universities that offer a Bachelor of Education, particularly those with accelerated programs, technological and French-language streams, and those serving northern, rural, Indigenous, and remote areas, as stated by the Ministry.
The Ministry reported that 12,111 full-time students are currently enrolled in teacher education programs at Ontario universities for the 2024-25 academic year. Each year, approximately 4,500 teacher candidates enter the workforce through the Ontario Initial Teacher Education program, which receives $60 million in annual funding. Since 2018, 961 additional spaces for teacher education in French and English have been added to Ontario's universities.
Rebecca Luce-Kapler, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, stated that the funding will help expand access to technological education, French as a Second Language, and Indigenous Education. Steve Orsini, President and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities, and Dany Dumont, President of the Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes, also stated their support for the investment, highlighting its focus on addressing teacher shortages in high-need areas.
The 2025 Ontario Budget includes a provision for $30.3 billion in core education funding for the 2025-26 school year, according to the Ministry.