'We're worried': ATA concerned over Education Amendment Act

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about changes to the education system the provincial government is trying to make which would affect sexual education and students' names.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Let's look at Bill 27, the Education Amendment Act. How do you expect this to change dynamics in the classroom?

Jason Schilling: Our concern is that it's going to eliminate trust that students have with teachers at schools. We want schools to be a safe, caring place for all of our students and the Education Act tells them that's what it should be.

We're worried that these kind of rules that are coming in, will undermine that trust, that safety of our most vulnerable students. Our trans students, who are struggling sometimes with finding a safe space where they can seek assistance, and for a lot of those students, school is the only place that allows that.

So we're worried that this will undermine that relationship between students, parents and teachers.

MH: You've stated that the teachers stand firmly against any measures that might expose students to harm. How challenged will teachers be in abiding by those rules?

JS: It's going to be extremely challenging and it's an unfair position to put teachers in. They're also dealing with overcrowded classrooms and a lack of resources.

They're trying to meet the needs of their students every single day and now you've added another complication, potentially to the relationships with students, to undermine any kind of trust that would be there.

MH: So how do you advise ATA members who are looking at this and maybe choose to ignore the regulation?

JS: We'll have to look at that case by case when it happens and to see what are the circumstances. What we're seeing here with this legislation is sort of a sledgehammer approach to a very nuanced, complex situation.

These are situations that need to be handled delicately, one-on-one, including students, schools and families, and not have such broad strokes.

MH: On the opt-in requirement for sex ed discussions on sexuality, gender identity, sexual orientation, why is that of concern when weighed against the existing opt-out element? Is there not already a degree of communication between the school, the teachers, the parents?

JS: We already have this existing within the Education Act where a parent receives notification and can opt out of instruction.

So as a teacher, when I send a letter home, if I don't hear back from the family, I'm assuming everything is good and I will proceed with the instruction unless I hear back from parents, either by phone call or the letter.

Now I have to assume that every student cannot have this instruction and I have to chase down permission for everyone to go. Our concern then is students will miss out on a very valuable instruction around human sexuality, consent, STIs, unwanted pregnancies.

There's a lot there that is taught to students and we're worried that students will miss out on these opportunities to learn about these important factors in their lives. The opt-in part just creates a whole level of bureaucracy that didn't exist there before because the right is already within the Education Act.

When I think about this, and talk to members, we're just struggling to understand what is the problem we're actually trying to fix right now?

MH: As Albertans saw on the weekend, Danielle Smith has the overwhelming support of her party. ATA is asking for her to reconsider the proposals right before they be implemented in 2025. What makes you think that's realistic with the understanding that the premier is responding to her base in bringing these proposals forward?

JS: I think by sitting down and having a conversation about how this will be implemented in schools. The concerns of teachers and administrators, I don't believe, have been heard very well from this government around this issue.

We want to work with parents to ensure that students are safe. That's our primary concern: the safety of our students at our schools. We want to ensure this for all of our students, and we can't be excluding a subsection of students.

So to sit down and have conversations about these is important before they're implemented, because I don't always think government thinks through some of the consequences of the decisions of how it does impact a school community after the fact.

MH: There is an expectation of communication between the ATA and the education minister. How do you approach that?

JS: I've always indicated to government that we are available for consultations at any given time. They don't always take us up on that offer, which is their prerogative, but we're always open to having conversations.