When the superintendent and board of education of a school district of the first class find that the supply of certified teachers is inadequate to the educational needs of the district's language minority student population or that the loss of teachers due to early retirement would cause the interruption of suitable and essential programs of instruction for such students, the district may hire otherwise qualified persons without current teaching certificates, provided that individuals so employed shall enroll in a teacher certification program and meet Pennsylvania certification requirements within a period not to exceed three (3) years.