Why Would You Choose Teacher Education Programs in Canadian Provinces?
At the beginning of October, thousands of striking Canadian Teachers went on strike for a new contract. Teachers have been fighting for improved working conditions and greater job security. They want a 15% increase in the current wages or a signing of a new five-year deal with a more generous one-year contract. Unions are supporting this effort and say that if this new deal is not achieved by the end of the month, more teachers will go on strike.
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If you belong to a group of Canadian Teachers that is trying to put pressure on the government to make this happen, there are a few other things that you can do in order to help the strike goes as smoothly as possible.
- One important thing that you can do to help the process go smoother is to follow the guidelines set out by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (EFLO). The EFLO sets the salary for Ontario’s elementary teachers. Its latest report shows that the median salary of an elementary school teacher is $40,000. In comparison to the United States where the median teacher salary is close to forty thousand dollars and the number of elementary schools is much larger, the pay differential is quite dramatic in Canada.
- Another thing that you can do to help the proceedings go smoother and contribute to a win-win situation for Canadian teachers are to contact your provincial teacher organizations. As a member of one of the provincial associations, you will be privy to information that you normally wouldn’t. For example, you will know that the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (EFLO) has been negotiating with the provincial government and the Province of Ontario (PTO) on a new contract that will provide fair wages and terms for teachers. You also may hear news about other provincial associations or groups trying to organize a deal on their own. It is important that you remain actively involved and be ready to act when you find out about negotiations.
Additional Qualification
The PTO has been assisting Ontario’s education system with professional development activities like the recent creation of the Ontario Professional Teachers Association (OPTA). This association is the vehicle that will help teachers get additional qualifications. Once you have additional qualifications, you will be able to apply for jobs in different education settings such as schools, colleges, universities and so on. As an employee of the Professional Teachers Organization, you will also be eligible for professional development services. These services aim at maintaining a high level of knowledge and skills of professionals in various fields.
Reasons why the salary of Canadian teachers in Canada is much higher than in other countries?
First of all, the cost of living in Canada is much lower than what you would expect. Second, because there is a very strong economy in this country and the number of expatriates living and working in Canada is also very high, the taxes you will be paying as a resident of the country will also be lesser than what you would expect.
All things considered, Canadian teachers earn a higher salary than their counterparts in the United States and in other first world countries. Given all these variables, it comes as no surprise that many people prefer to become a teacher in Canada. If you do not reside in Canada, you can still join teacher education programs in various Canadian provinces. In particular, Ontario is one of the best provinces to study and obtain a degree in teacher education. The curriculum of various Ontario teacher education programs is also similar to that of their United States counterparts.