Quebec short more than 5,700 teachers with the school year weeks away

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville says there are still 5,704 teaching positions to be filled in the province's schools, weeks before the new school year begins.

But Drainville says that number represents 2,800 fewer vacancies compared with this time last year.

He says the school system faces a serious challenge to find enough teachers because there are about 20,000 more students enrolled than there were last year.

Of the 5,704 unfilled teaching spots, 1,406 are for permanent, full-time positions, and the rest are contract jobs.

Drainville says the improvement over last year is due in part to a new collective agreement that requires teachers to accept class assignments by Aug. 8.

Unions, however, have said that despite the change in the contract, the education network is still dealing with a serious labour shortage.