A grade of 'incomplete': Edmonton Public formally asks province to rewrite draft curriculum
Article content
The Edmonton Public School Board has formally asked the Alberta government to stop and rewrite the much-maligned draft K-6 curriculum, saying it isn’t age appropriate and doesn’t reflect the province’s diversity.
Educators have been raising concerns about the proposed curriculum since it was unveiled in March. Edmonton Public Schools is among 56 of 61 Alberta school boards that have refused to pilot the draft.
In a May 20 letter to Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, Edmonton Public board chairwoman Trisha Estabrooks called on the minister for a rewrite and to halt the pilot program.
“The Edmonton Public School Board of trustees is hearing, loudly and clearly, from parents (and 56 other school boards to date) that there are significant, well-founded concerns with the draft curriculum,” Estabrooks said in the letter.
“It has errors, examples of plagiarism, and content that is not age appropriate or reflective of Alberta’s diversity. First Nations and Métis leaders, curriculum experts, educators, and parents agree that the current proposed curriculum is unsuitable for today’s classrooms. Put simply, this assignment receives a grade of ‘incomplete.'”
She pointed to examples in the draft such as the decision to teach Pascal’s triangle, a math concept currently taught in high school, in Grade 2. Learning how to divide by a fraction, currently taught in Grade 8, has been moved to Grade 6.
At the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) general meeting Monday, Edmonton Public and Evergreen Catholic School Division proposed a resolution that would have seen the association lobby the government to rewrite the curriculum.
Instead members, which include Public, Catholic and Francophone boards, passed an amended resolution that the association would lobby to “delay” the curriculum “to allow for further review to address the concerns that have been identified” and consultation.
In a statement, ASBA president Lorrie Jess said extending consultations will lead to a well-rounded curriculum.
“While school boards are not curriculum content experts, as the voice of their local communities, they are responsive to concerns raised in relation to curriculum engagement, implementation and content,” she said.
In a statement to Postmedia, LaGrange’s press secretary, Nicole Sparrow, did not address Estabrooks’ specific concerns. She said the draft curriculum focuses on “literacy, numeracy, practical skills and knowledge.”
Sparrow said LaGrange met with the ASBA Wednesday.
“The draft curriculum is just that, a draft. All Albertans, including teachers and parents, are encouraged to provide feedback as we refine the draft curriculum and move to implementation in fall 2022,” she said.
Education experts have denounced some of the curriculum’s content calling it regressive, faulty, negligent, and plagiarized. The Métis Nation of Alberta has called for a rewrite and the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations rejected it.
In her letter, Estabrooks said the only acceptable solution is to begin the process again, this time with full transparency and up-to-date education experts.
“We agree that the current curriculum being used in schools does need updating and acknowledge that revisiting the development will cause a delay. However, given the lifespan and reach of curriculum, it is imperative that we get it right,” she said.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.