School’s out for the summer and the province’s education minister has definitely been feeling the heat, but it has nothing to do with the rising thermometer.
David Eggen has been busy trying to allay concerns over the process for retooling Alberta’s kindergarten-to-Grade 4 curriculum after leaked copies of proposed changes to the social studies curriculum were recently made public.
The draft changes prompted allegations from an Edmonton columnist that Alberta history is being removed from social studies classes, which sparked a furor on social media and led United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney to accuse the government, once again, of conducting the curriculum overhaul in secret. Kenney had levelled the same accusation at the party’s annual general meeting in May.
One day after the info leak, the education department posted the draft documents online.
That’s a quick reaction by the province, which had only been providing details about the proposed curriculum changes to Alberta residents who showed up at public meetings in May and June, and agreed to leave behind written material that was reviewed with organizers. That stipulation had not given the perception of openness about the $64-million, six-year revamp, which began in June 2016.
Eggen, who said the leak prompted the online move, has reiterated the process for updating the curriculum for students across the province is transparent.
Albertans likely didn’t expect the government to respond as quickly as it did, particularly when many families are in summer vacation mode and the countdown to a new school year has yet to begin. But it was a smart decision by the NDP.
By releasing the draft proposals – that cover seven subject areas, including mathematics, social studies, science, and English and French language arts – the shroud of mystery is gone. A few clicks on the computer keyboard and the documents are now available to peruse at education.alberta.ca. The Opposition can no longer claim the province is working on the curriculum rewrite in secrecy.
Eggen has also been able to clarify that under the proposed changes, which are not expected to be finalized until the end of December, there will be renewed emphasis on the role of First Nations and francophones in Alberta and Canadian history. He said any changes to subject material currently being taught – some of which is more than 30 years old – will continue to emphasize the fundamentals of reading, writing and math.
Of course, the recent complaints about lack of transparency regarding the overhaul and the online furor could have been avoided if the Notley government had been more forthcoming about its efforts.
It’s a lesson the NDP should not forget, particularly as the 2019 provincial election campaign looms.
- reprinted from St. Albert Gazette, a Great West newspaper
