Bridging Classrooms: Francophone Teacher Pathways to British Columbia”

British Columbia faces a persistent and growing shortage of qualified French language teachers, a challenge that threatens the expansion and sustainability of French immersion and Core French programs across the province. Despite local efforts, the domestic supply of certified educators remains insufficient. Meanwhile, West Africa continues to produce thousands of well-trained French-speaking teachers each year , a pool of talent that remains largely untapped in Canada’s recruitment strategies.

This policy brief explores the potential of creating a targeted, community-driven teacher recruitment and integration pathway between West African countries and British Columbia. It examines key structural and institutional barriers, including immigration complexities, credential recognition issues, and integration challenges for foreign-trained professionals.

Drawing on the mission and model of Verbal Link Institute a community contribution company (C3) based in British Columbia this paper outlines a comprehensive, low-barrier approach to identifying, preparing, and supporting Francophone educators before and after arrival. The model includes partnerships with African universities, pre-arrival orientation, immigration and credential support, and settlement assistance.

It concludes with policy and programmatic recommendations for Canadian immigration authorities, provincial education departments, school boards, and community partners. By building collaborative and culturally responsive teacher mobility pipelines, Canada can simultaneously address teacher shortages and strengthen its commitment to linguistic duality, equity, and global engagement.