Rocky View Schools (RVS) parents said the province’s kindergarten to Grade 6 draft curriculum was a step backwards.
RVS superintendent Greg Luterbach said the K-6 curriculum “mobilized many parents” and spurred education groups and school divisions to analyze it.
While the board of trustees announced April 13 it would not be piloting the draft curriculum in the 2021-22 school year, trustees said they’d be working with stakeholders and staff to provide feedback to the province.
Parents had the opportunity to consult with teachers last month to provide feedback on the curriculum announced in the spring. Thirty-five parents provided feedback at two parent sessions on Nov. 8 and 17.
Luterbach said parents worried the curriculum was too fact driven and lacked problem-solving, collaboration and critical components. They voiced concerns about the inclusion of “superficial” Indigenous content and the curriculum lacked age appropriateness.
“At times, the sessions were emotional,” Luterbach said. “Some parents said they are considering leaving the province if the curriculum is implemented as written — very few positives were mentioned overall.
Luterbach said RVS parents were glad the school division didn’t pilot the drafts and they expect the government to make “significant revisions.”
Four teacher sessions held throughout November echoed many of the same sentiments, including age appropriateness, lack of meaningful Indigenous content, focus on factoids rather than process and more.
Teachers also felt they lacked resources to support the proposed curriculum and felt it may harm students if implemented in its current form, Luterbach said.
“The teachers in attendance were very upset and completely unsupportive of the draft curriculum,” he said. “[They] wanted to delay and/or phase its implementation after significant changes are made to reflect what is being said across the province.”
Feedback from all six sessions was shared with Alberta Education and will be available on RVS’ website for information.
The government said Dec. 13 it would be taking “significant steps” to address the feedback received from schools and parents. The province’s website says a new implementation advisory group with be established early next year.
The province seeks to introduce a new draft K-6 social studies design and update English language arts, fine arts, physical education and wellness and science.
Further engagement opportunities on the draft will be made available regarding the new draft curriculum.
“With these steps, we will ensure Alberta’s students are learning from an updated curriculum that prepares them for the future,” read a statement on the website.
Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling issued a statement following the government’s decision to halt implementation of the new curriculum, noting it as an “important victory” for the association and similar advocacy groups.
“There is a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “They still don’t have curriculum right; students are still learning in oversized classes; funding cuts are looming in the spring budget; and the government opened a whole new front last week in the attack on public education.
“We will continue to stand for education.”
RVS staff and trustees said they are waiting for further information from the province regarding revisions to the initial draft K-6 curriculum that “addresses concerns shared in RVS and across the province.”
Carmen Cundy, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @carmenrcundy
