Alberta Education Minister David Eggen apologized Thursday for what he describes as “hateful and offensive” material handed out in a St. Paul school.
A student from St. Paul Alternate Education Centre was asked to identify the "positive effects" of residential schools in an assignment question.
The question included these four multiple choice options: that children were away from home, they learned to read, they became civilized and they were taught manners.
“I was appalled to see such hurtful and offensive material given to an Alberta student," said Eggen in a news release Thursday.
Controversy around the multiple choice question began Wednesday when a photo of it surfaced online.
Glen Brodziak, the superintendent of the St. Paul Education Regional Division, assured the removal of the question from their educational resources.
“We accept and take full responsibility for the use of this inappropriate material and for that we are deeply sorry.”
In light of this incident, Eggen has instructed school divisions across Alberta to thoroughly review all course material to avoid such event from happening again.
Eggen referred to this incident as an “unfortunate situation” that highlights the importance of updating the K-12 curriculum in the province.
“Some of the material still in our classrooms today was written as far back as the 1990s, when the last residential schools were still in operation. Every student in Alberta should be learning about the profound damage and harm that was done to generations of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children who were forced to attend residential schools – full stop.”
With files from Nicole Weisberg
