Province looking for school boards to pilot the new K-6 social studies curriculum
Edmonton Catholic Schools has announced it will pilot the new Alberta K-6 social studies curriculum next fall.
"Edmonton Catholic Schools is committed to the piloting phase to ensure our teachers can provide valuable feedback," Sandra Palazzo of Edmonton Catholic Schools said in a Friday news release. "Our approach is guided by collaboration with teachers, Alberta Education, and other jurisdictional partners to provide all students with the best possible learning experience."
The province introduced a revamped version of the curriculum on March 14 after being forced to scrap an earlier version due to complaints that it was racist and not age-appropriate.
Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides said since March 14, the province has received feedback from an additional 2,900 people with positive and negative comments.
"We did hear positive comments about increased emphasis placed on Indigenous peoples in histories, the increased emphasis on history and educating students about the importance of democracy," he told reporters on Friday.
"Of course, we also heard that there were some areas for improvement. Specifically, we heard that some grades might have too much content, and that some content may need to be moved to later grades."
Nicolaides says since March 14, content on tax studies has been moved from Grade 2 to Grade 5.
Content load for Grade 4 students has been reduced.
Additional content on First Nations, Inuit, and Francophone history have been added.
Content about racism, anti-semtism, and Islamophobia have also been added.
The government has committed $34 million as part of Budget 2024 to support curriculum piloting and implementation in the 2024-25 school year.
"Throughout the piloting process, teachers will be provided with the information and tools
they need to work with the draft curriculum in their classrooms," the province said in a news release.
School boards have until May 15 to let the province know if they plan to pilot the curriculum.
Feedback from those piloting the curriculum will be used in finalizing the curriculum before it's implemented in September 2025.
Nicolaides doesn't expect to see many major changes though.
"I think we've gotten the balance right there. So doors still open to minor, minor modifications, additions, deletions. So I'd be happily happy to incorporate those."
The Alberta Teachers Association is calling for the province to pause the rollout of the curriculum to get better feedback from teachers.
"We welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback on the social studies curriculum," ATA president Jason Schilling wrote in a Friday news release. "Unfortunately, teachers' recommendations are not reflected in this most recent draft. Rather than proceeding to pilot a curriculum that we know is flawed, let’s take the time needed to get it right and ready for the classroom."
Additionally he raised concerns about launching yet another new curriculum when four new subject curriculums have already been launched in recent years.
Schilling says launching the new curriculum when schools are already understaffed and overcrowded will only cause the system to be further overloaded.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Steven Dyer
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Case against ex-Mountie charged with helping China can go ahead in Quebec, judge says
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer charged with helping China conduct foreign interference can go ahead in the province.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.