EDMONTON — The Alberta government is delaying full implementation of its proposed curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 6 after fierce opposition from some teachers and students.
A 300-page government report says some subjects — including math and physical education and wellness — are to be taught with changes in the upcoming school year while others will undergo more revision.
"We will face curriculum implementation by staggering subjects starting this fall," Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said at a news conference Monday.
"Until now, we had plans to implement all subjects next fall, September of 2022, but we have heard loud and clear from teachers that this was simply not possible."
Physical education and wellness is now to include financial literacy, which was previously part of the draft social studies curriculum.
Students are also to learn revised science concepts that include details on how climate change can be explained by natural and human causes, and that clean-energy production has the potential to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
"We've also made changes to help students develop an appreciation for dinosaurs and understand their significance in Alberta's history," LaGrange said.
LaGrange said the proposed K-6 curriculum for social studies, French immersion and francophone language arts, science, and fine arts will be delayed because feedback indicated "some Albertans feel the draft content has students learning too much, too soon, and too quickly."
The government will seek advice from education and curriculum experts early in the new year to further revise those subjects, LaGrange said. She will provide details on the committee's makeup at a later date, she added.
For now, the province has developed a new blueprint that has shifted the order in which historical concepts will be taught in social studies courses, LaGrange said. There will be more lessons on ancient civilizations, but that material will be moved to Grade 5 from Grade 2.
The Alberta Teachers' Association noted in a report last fall that several teacher surveys suggested the curriculum was skewed toward Eurocentric history and referred to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis only in the past tense.
Teachers also said it failed to teach students critical thinking skills and lacked accurate Indigenous perspectives.
The government had planned to pilot Grade 7 to 10 lessons in classrooms next school year, but LaGrange noted that won't be happening until the kindergarten to Grade 6 curriculum is confirmed.
The government has said 7,800 students in 17 schools and school divisions are piloting the K-6 curriculum.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2021.
The Canadian Press
