(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

"segments with significant issues"

Red Deer Public Schools opts out of piloting new K-6 curriculum

Apr 15, 2021 | 3:20 PM

Red Deer Public Schools (RDPSD) will not pilot the province’s K-6 draft curriculum this fall, following a unanimous vote by the division’s Board of Trustees.

A statement released Wednesday acknowledges that significant public concerns have been raised over the draft curriculum since it was released last month.

Red Deer Public says while many of the 500 pages in the draft curriculum contain sound outcomes and objectives, there are segments with significant issues, particularly in social studies.

“While the development of a new curriculum framework has been over a decade in the making, we need to ensure we take the time needed to get this right. Ultimately, the curriculum belongs to all Albertans and it should reflect the hopes and aspirations we have for our students who are the future of this province,” reads a statement from the Board of Trustees released Wednesday.

“What will students need in an ever changing world…curriculum fills those needs. The content and way many of us learned in the past is not what today’s students will need to be prepared for the future.”

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The board goes on to say the division’s focus this fall will be recovery, with challenges anticipated in a return ‘near normal conditions.’

“We know there will be learning gaps for many students and our priority needs to be addressing those and getting students back on track. We are also mindful of the social and emotional challenges many students and families have faced during the pandemic, so we need to prioritize mental wellness as well,” trustees say. “With competing priorities, including curriculum implementation, we need to focus on our most important work. Recovery is our most pressing need.”

Red Deer Public Schools says it will consult with teachers and offer feedback to the province, and is encouraging Alberta Education to be flexible in piloting the new curriculum and be open to accepting input from jurisdictions which aren’t piloting.

“Whether it is this or past governments, politics seems to influence the process. Albertans must have confidence in the curriculum development process,” the board concludes. “We feel it would be beneficial for this to be an independent process that engages the best minds and takes a broad perspective on what critical skills and knowledge all students will need to succeed. There has to be a way for curriculum to be developed around sound and shared principles.”

The division is also encouraging parents to take part in a government survey about the curriculum.

Other local school divisions to opt out of the pilot include Wild Rose School Division and Wolf Creek Public Schools.

In a statement to rdnewsNOW, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools say it’s still reviewing its options.

“We will continue to become familiar with the newly-released draft Kindergarten to Grade 6 curriculum. We are currently gathering meaningful feedback on the draft curriculum from teachers. We want to ensure in-team that we take a careful, thoughtful look at the draft curriculum as we make decisions going forward,” says Superintendent Kathleen Finnigan. “We are encouraging all members of our school communities to go to the Alberta Education website and give their feedback.”

Earlier Thursday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association announced a new campaign to halt the K-6 curriculum pilot altogether.