Do schools discriminate against teachers who speak English as a second language?
Some context: I immigrated to Canada in my twenties, completed a Bachelor of Arts in English, and have just been accepted into a Bachelor of Education program. I have several years of experience working with children in Canada, and my goal is to become an Early Years teacher.
My biggest concern is that English is not my first language, although I've scored 8.5 on the IELTS (equivalent to a C2 level). I've studied English literature, written short stories and poetry at my university, and speak English at home. I received a medal for having the highest GPA in my English major. I'm not trying to brag, just to point out that non-native English speakers can be just as capable as, and sometimes outperform, their native-speaking colleagues. I also have a noticeable Latin American accent.
Why am I saying all of this? I'm worried that being an immigrant could hurt my career prospects. I've seen some comments on this sub from people who believe that if you're not a native English speaker, you shouldn't teach English because there are plenty of native English speakers in Canada. To me, this borders on racial discrimination, but that's probably a discussion for another time.
I guess I'm not sure what my question is. I'm just wondering whether being a native English speaker matters that much when it comes to teaching in Canadian schools. Is having an accent likely to make my life more difficult? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and opinions!