The province has granted several school divisions more time to review teacher credentials.

Earlier this year, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt ordered all 37 school divisions to ensure their teachers have proper certification. The deadline was March 27.

Most school divisions have confirmed the internal reviews, a spokesperson for the provincial government said this week.

“A small number of school divisions have been provided additional time to complete the review process,” the spokesperson wrote.

“The department remains in communication with three school divisions that have not yet submitted the reviews. While there is no formal extension to the original deadline, the department does expect submissions in short order.”

The spokesperson said the direction was for divisions to complete their own internal reviews and notify the education department. The department is not initiating its own review of the school division records.

The minister’s order came after former teacher and coach Braeden Martens was charged with luring a child under the age of 16 via telecommunications and invitation to sexual touching. Martens was also found to have worked without a teaching permit at Steinbach Regional Secondary School.

Cameron Hauseman, an associate professor of educational administration at the University of Manitoba, says it’s good that the province is increasing accountability. However, he said it may be beneficial for school divisions to check their teachers’ certification each year.

“This directive should be enough to ensure the divisions are engaging in recruitment and hiring practices consistent with the Public Schools Act when it comes, at least, to the certified teachers in the province,” Hauseman said Thursday.

It’s important for the education minister and school divisions to collaborate on a solution that brings more accountability regarding limited teaching permits, he says.

Hauseman says limited teaching permits are a “grey area” because anyone working with one is outside the jurisdiction of Manitoba’s independent commissioner of teacher professional conduct.

Hanover School Division, which includes the Steinbach high school, told CBC News in a statement the required review is complete and was submitted to the province.

“All uncertified teachers have been verified as authorized to work under provincial regulations, including valid limited teaching permits, where applicable,” the division said.

All required criminal record and child abuse registry checks are valid, Hanover said.

Manitoba Teachers’ Society president Lillian Klausen says any adult working in the school system must be held to the highest standard of safety of students.

Klausen also says criminal record and child abuse registry checks are ways to maintain accountability.

“However, these measures alone are not sufficient,” Klausen said in a written statement. “Our position is that all teachers working in Manitoba classrooms should be certified.”

There has been an increase in the use of uncertified teachers in past years because of staffing shortages, she said.

There were 771 people working with limited teaching permits in the 2023-24 school year, according to the reply to an access to information request Hauseman submitted. That’s a large number, he says.

“When parents drop their kids off at school, they’re placing a tremendous amount of trust not just on individual teachers, but in the system as a whole to ensure that not only are they safe, but that they’re receiving appropriate educational services,” Hauseman said. 

He says situations such as the one in Steinbach can impact the public confidence in the school system in a negative way.