ATA President Jason Schilling. (Alberta Teachers' Association)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Several "Shortcomings"

Teachers’ Association says new K-6 draft curriculum fails to meet province’s own standards

Sep 29, 2021 | 12:14 PM

“If the Alberta government were grading the new draft K–6 curriculum, it would have to fail itself.”

The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has completed its professional review of the proposed curriculum.

It included an online survey, written submissions, and focus groups with more than 6,500 teachers. The curriculum was then assessed by comparing it to the province’s own vision and guidelines.

ATA President Jason Schilling says it failed to do that.

“Alberta’s students and teachers require an appropriate and workable curriculum. The government may have set out to develop a high-quality curriculum, but our analysis shows they have failed to meet their own goals. If they won’t listen to the thousands of teachers who have spoken, perhaps they will listen to themselves.”

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The ATA assets that there were several other “shortcomings”, including:

1. Not logically sequenced and not appropriately designed for teacher use
2. Narrowly defined content that does not reflect the development of knowledge, understanding and skills for the 21st century
3. Developmentally inappropriate learning outcomes that lack high academic standards and do not adequately describe what students must know and be able to do
4. Inclusion of Indigenous content that is not authentic and appears as tokenism
5. Inadequate inclusion of francophone histories, contributions and perspectives
6. Lack of respect for Alberta’s diversity and support for a peaceful, pluralistic society
7. Failure to address racism, sexism and other forms of bigotry, and the use of language that, in fact, promotes such bigotry
8. Inclusion of world religions as a mandatory topic in K–12, which infringes on the religious freedoms of Alberta parents

Schilling adds that the teaching profession was largely left out of the curriculum development process and that educations are more than willing to assist the government in rewriting it.

“This curriculum is based on ideological, antiquated ideas of what children should learn, by those who seem to have no experience with teaching in Albertan, or even Canadian, classrooms.”

A recent ATA survey found that 91 per cent of teachers in the province are unhappy with the proposed curriculum. Many school boards opted to not take part in the curriculum pilot.

“It fails kids. It wipes away years of work on a modern curriculum in favour of Jason Kenney and the UCP’s ideological approach to education,” said NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman.

“This is appalling. Nowhere, not in any school, should children be exposed to teaching that fails to provide them essential knowledge let alone promotes racism, sexism, and bigotry,” added Hoffman. “Jason Kenney’s draft curriculum for K through 6 is not just a disaster, it is dangerous.”

“I know there is a lot of anger among parents and teachers right now. Albertans who care about the future of this province and the children that will make it happen,” said Hoffman. “Alberta’s NDP is committed to fixing this process if we form the next government, and delivering a modern, inclusive curriculum that can make all Albertans proud.”

The ATA wants the Alberta Government to put a moratorium on piloting the draft curriculum. Anybody who wants to add their voice to the ATA’s cause can do so here.