Manitoba Schools Add 832 New Teacher Positions Post-Election

Since the election of a New Democratic Party (NDP) government in 2023, Manitoba public schools have added a total of 832 new funded teacher positions. This increase represents a 6 percent growth in teaching staff, as confirmed by Education Minister Tracy Schmidt during a recent announcement.

New Teacher Positions and Recruitment Efforts

Minister Schmidt made the announcement on Wednesday at École DSFM Sage Creek, a newly established school in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine. Addressing a gathering of educators and students, she emphasized the urgent need for more teachers across the province, particularly French language educators. “We need more teachers here in Manitoba — we especially need more French teachers,” Schmidt stated.

The previous Progressive Conservative government initiated a recruitment strategy for French-language teachers in 2021. Collaborating with the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine and Université de Saint-Boniface, they developed a roadmap for the years 2023-2026. Over the past two years, the francophone division has created 41 new teaching positions, although no new positions were added at its three schools located in the Westman region.

According to Alain Laberge, Superintendent of the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, the absence of new positions in these schools is due to small student-teacher ratios. He noted that recruiting teachers for rural areas poses challenges, particularly for French-speaking positions. “Getting teachers in rural areas is difficult for all school divisions, but if you add the speaking French factor, it is harder to find all teachers needed,” Laberge explained. “But we are lucky — beside needing more substitute teachers, we have all the teachers we need so far this year.”

Growing Enrollment and Future Prospects

In addition to the new teacher positions, the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine reported a significant increase in student enrollment, with more than 6,300 registrants this fall. Between September 2023 and 2024, enrollment grew by 4.4 percent, while the overall public school population across the province rose by 2 percent last year.

The Brandon School Division has also seen growth, adding the equivalent of approximately 34 full-time teachers over the past two years. Superintendent Mathew Gustafson mentioned that steady enrollment increases have prompted the need for additional staff.

Looking ahead, the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine plans to open a new school in Brandon for the 2028-29 school year, reflecting the ongoing commitment to expanding educational resources in the region.

This surge in teacher positions and student enrollment highlights the Manitoba government’s focus on enhancing educational opportunities and addressing the staffing needs of public schools in the province.