The president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association says there has been a “sharp increase” in the number of retirees returning to the system to be substitutes in the last decade, and that speaks to how difficult it is to recruit and retain.

President Dale Lambe, who cites data provided to the NLTA by another agency, says 10 years ago there were 2,400 subs in the system and “very few” of those were retirees.

Today, Lambe says the total number of substitutes has decreased to 1,700 – with 600 of those being retired teachers.

He says they are “very grateful” for those who have returned to the classroom, but it does speak to a system that’s “not very well” right now.