Preschool and Elementary Teacher Training - An Innovative Partnership to Address the Labor Shortage

QUÉBEC, May 27, 2020 / CNW Telbec / - In order to counter the shortage of manpower among preschool and elementary school teachers, theTELUQ University and theUniversity of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR) enter into a framework agreement to find solutions aimed at developing the skills of people who already have a bachelor's degree and who wish to obtain a diploma paving the way for a career in teaching. What is more, these two constituents of the UQ network have vast expertise in the field of distance education.

TELUQ University, through the offer of the Specialized Graduate Diploma (DESS) in preschool and primary education, and UQTR, with its know-how and experience in training giving access to the teaching certificate of which master's degree in secondary education, are joining forces within the framework of an innovative partnership. This agreement is one of the new projects funded in the fall of 2019 by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEES). It mobilizes the expertise of the two universities in order to collaborate in the development of a second cycle degree program which will be offered at a distance.

“This DESS aims to support non-legally qualified teachers so that they acquire, in particular, the tools to put in place the most effective teaching strategies in their class in order to guarantee students a quality education. The implementation of this program represents a first step towards offering a qualifying master's degree in preschool and elementary education throughout Quebec. Based on the formula validated at the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board as part of a pilot project, this master's program will be based on the establishment of partnerships with practice settings to allow large-scale deployment, ”explains Marc. -André Carle, director of teaching and research at TELUQ University.

For his part, Adel Omar Dahmane, dean of studies at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, mentions that “this new program will allow eligible candidates to access a career in teaching more quickly and thus meet the needs that arise. are increasingly urgent in many schools in Quebec. For UQTR, it could also constitute a first step towards the development of a second cycle program intended to train preschool and primary teachers ”.

The University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières

The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, a member of the Université du Québec network, was created on March 19, 1969. The UQTR campus today includes more than fifteen welcoming buildings, each year, nearly 14,500 students, more than half of whom come from other regions of Quebec.

TELUQ University

Founded in 1972 to make knowledge accessible, TÉLUQ is the only French-speaking university in North America to offer all of its programs at a distance. Each year, nearly 20,000 people choose the flexibility of TELUQ University for their university studies, from 1^er to 3^e cycle.