McGuinty Government doubling teachers college to two years

Ontario Liberals will extend teachers college from one year to two years to further improve teacher education. Ontario has some of the world’s best teachers. But we can’t rest on our laurels. We’re doubling - and improving - the time teachers spend educating for their careers.

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Toronto - Sep. 2, 2011 - Ontario Liberals will extend teachers college from one year to two years to further improve teacher education.

“Ontario has some of the world’s best teachers. But we can’t rest on our laurels. To help more of our students succeed in school and take the next step in creating the world’s best-educated workforce, we’re doubling - and improving - the time teachers spend educating for their careers,” said John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities in the Ontario Liberal government.

Experts say that 70 per cent of all future jobs will require postsecondary training. That means we have to invest in the best-possible education for Ontario teachers, right now.

Ontario’s one-year teacher education program is one of the shortest in Canada. Other places in the world where students rank high in standardized tests - such as Japan, Singapore and Finland - have multi-year programs.

Ontario’s new two-year program would mean that student teachers would spend more time in the classroom, getting even more, practical, real-world experience. Ontario teachers would also get more professional development opportunities in the first three years of teaching to support them as they grow in their careers.

Under the last PC government, Ontario experienced eight years of cuts and chaos and strikes. Now, with a $14 billion hole in their platform and the threat of unspecified cuts to programs like full-day kindergarten, the PCs are at it again - putting education and students at risk.

The disappointing NDP platform, on the other hand, doesn’t even mention education. With an opposition determined to drag Ontario’s schools backwards, Ontario Liberals are the only party with a positive, forward-looking plan for education.

“We’re proud of the results we have achieved, together. Grad rates are higher. And Ontario students have some of the highest test scores in the world,” said Milloy. “But if we want to out-work and out-compete the rest of the world tomorrow, we’ve got to out-educate them today.”