Albertans rally against province’s proposed K-6 curriculum
Folks gathered throughout Alberta, together with in Edmonton and Calgary, on Saturday to rally in opposition to the province’s controversial proposed Ok-6 curriculum.
The grassroots motion was began by mother and father and organizations involved that the curriculum doesn’t meet instructional finest practices.
Carla Peck is likely one of the organizers of the Ditch the Draft Protest in Edmonton and mentioned they need a full moratorium on the proposal.
“The draft curriculum they’ve put collectively shouldn’t be of enough high quality for Alberta college students or academics and we have to begin the method over. The method was damaged from the start and we have to repair it,” mentioned Peck.
Learn extra:
Alberta to introduce new curriculum in phased method primarily based on topic and age
The Alberta Lecturers’ Affiliation has been important of the plan and requested the province to begin once more from scratch, and lots of boards throughout the province refused to pilot it.
ATA president Jason Schilling mentioned the truth that the draft curriculum is slated to go forward in colleges this fall is a serious level of frustration.
“If we put this into colleges within the fall, we are going to see irreparable injury to our college students for generations. And academics and children and oldsters, they only don’t need that,” Schilling mentioned Saturday.
Dad and mom on the demonstration voiced their frustration.
Learn extra:
ATA says 91% of Alberta academics in opposition to draft curriculum, doubts UCP will take heed to critics
“I’m apprehensive about my youngsters,” mentioned Alison Espheter. “I’ve bought three youngsters complete, two will nonetheless be impacted by the curriculum.”
“I’m involved about my very own kids,” mentioned Lisa Sharun. “However I’m extra involved about simply the overall path that we’re taking now and I simply don’t assume it’s a great one for our province and our society usually.”
The province is pushing forward, planning adjustments this September with college students in kindergarten to Grade 3 studying a brand new math and English language arts curriculum, in addition to a brand new bodily schooling and wellness program for all youngsters grades Ok-6.
Grades 4 to six will see the brand new math and English language arts curriculum beginning in 2023.
Critics say components of the curriculum aren’t age applicable, that it’s skewed towards Eurocentric historical past and referred to First Nations, Inuit and Metis solely previously tense. Lecturers have additionally mentioned it failed to incorporate classes on important pondering abilities and lacked correct Indigenous views.
In an announcement Saturday, the press secretary to the schooling minister mentioned the province had mentioned it had “dedicated to a clear and open year-long evaluation course of for curriculum and we saved that promise.”
“With this perception, in December we made content material adjustments in 4 topic areas, offered a brand new design blueprint for draft Ok-6 Social Research and adjusted implementation timelines. In January and February we offered new engagement alternatives for Albertans to share their viewpoints on the draft Ok-6 curriculum and design blueprint. They might additionally present suggestions by means of a web-based survey.
“The suggestions from all engagement alternatives and classroom piloting is getting used to additional revise draft Ok-6 content material,” Katherine Stavropoulos went on to say.
“We’re taking a balanced and measured implementation method for draft Ok-6 topics primarily based on perception and recommendation from the Curriculum Implementation Advisory Group.”
—with information from Christopher Chacon, International Information
