I am WITH the 57 out of 61 school boards in Alberta who DO NOT support implementing this curriculum in whole or in part. For a fulsome response, please see the letter I wrote to Education Minister Adrianna Lagrange and my MLA Richard Gottfried on this topic in April 2021. In short, my main objections to the 2020-21 Draft Curriculum are:
The fact that the content is developmentally inappropriate for young children.
The overwhelming and confusing journey through different geographic locations and eras in history.
The excessive amount of knowledge-based content that emphasizes names, facts, and rote memorization over deeper understanding
The heavily Eurocentric and colonial nature of the curriculum as well as the excessive focus on American history.
The examples of plagiarized work used throughout the new curricular documents.
While the Minister of Education in Alberta has the final say about what becomes curriculum in schools across the province, I will advocate tirelessly for a renewal of the former PC- and NDP-led curriculum design process, that had seen countless hours and immense efforts, not to mention millions of dollars, spent engaging 90 000 groups and individuals through public consultations, online surveys, and workshops to create a fulsome, progressive, and pedagogically-sound K – 12 curriculum that was simply cancelled in 2019. Failing that, it seems clear to me that a new curriculum build would have to be begin.