COUNCIL OF ATLANTIC PROVINCES AND TERRITORY TEACHERS' ORGANIZATIONS
Teachers' Organizations concerned about challenges facing teachers

The Council of Atlantic Provinces and Territory Teachers' Organizations (CAPTTO) meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia this week has issued the following joint statement on World Teachers' Day. CAPTTO is comprised of the provincial teacher organizations for New Brunswick (NBTA, AEFNB, NBTF), Newfoundland and Labrador (NLTA), Nova Scotia (NSTU), Nunavut (NTA) and Prince Edward Island (PEITF).

On this World Teachers' Day, the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF/FCE) and other organizations representing teachers across our country are celebrating the work our members do to ensure our children have a brighter future through the theme: The Answer Begins with Teachers.

From coast to coast to coast, students take their curiosity and questions to school. From kindergarten to the final days of Grade 12, Canada's youth seek direction in an increasingly complex world. And who do they turn to for answers? Their teachers, of course. Those answers jumpstart lives of further curiosity and discovery as our children and youth move out into the world to become the leaders of tomorrow. On this World Teachers' Day, we celebrate the guidance, dedication, and necessity of teachers because the answer begins with them.

If there is one thing we have all learned throughout the pandemic, it is how central teachers are to lives of Canada's children and youth. Through lockdowns, remote learning, and smiles hidden behind masks, teachers were there each step of the way. And now, as the world re-opens, teachers are working to restore the learning and connections that students lost. Today, and every day, we say thank you because the Answer begins with teachers.

But teachers are also facing unprecedented challenges that have been building for several years and have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. A teaching shortage and a lack of support staff have placed many schools near the brink. Without comprehensive and meaningful measures to retain and recruit and additional resources, many students won't have access to the rich educational experience they so justly deserve.

Similarly, the current situation is placing a tremendous strain on the emotional well-being of educators across our region and country and more and more talented teachers are revaluating their future in the profession based on the toll it is taking on their lives. It's imperative that provinces across Canada make investments to ensure teachers have access to mental health supports in a timely manner. There are too many people inside our schools at their emotional breaking point, we need to take steps to relieve the tremendous strain our teachers are currently under.

Teachers are the answer, but right now they need to know their voices are being heard and their questions about conditions inside their schools are being addressed. On this World Teachers' Day while we celebrate the work teachers do, let's also call on governments to ensure that the needs of educators are being met. They are a resource worth protecting, both today and into the future.