The NLTA is concerned over the continued reliance on emergency supply substitute teachers in the province’s school system.

Schools had to lean on emergency supply, that is, a substitute to fill the role of a teacher even though they may not be fully trained or qualified as a teacher, during the early days of the pandemic.

Recent numbers show the reliance on untrained substitutes jumped from 35 in 2019-2020 to 229 in 2021-2022.

NLTA President Trent Langdon understands that COVID had an impact, but says now is the time to remove the more than 200 emergency supply substitutes still in the system.

He told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly the pandemic had a huge impact on learning loss for students and there’s no real plan in place as the system plays catch-up.

“There are so many basic needs yet that need to be met,” says Langdon. “How can we have an effective, daily, full slate of people working towards getting children out of that learning loss…and moving them forward, when we’re struggling at best, just to meet their daily needs.”