MORE THAN 9 OUT OF 10 ALBERTA TEACHERS UNHAPPY WITH KENNEY CURRICULUM

EDMONTON – Elementary school teachers and principals overwhelmingly oppose the new Jason Kenney curriculum, according to a new survey conducted by the Alberta Teachers Association.

“The Kenney curriculum is a mess. It’s unacceptable,” said NDP Critic for Education Sarah Hoffman. “This survey shows that teachers feel this UCP curriculum is both age and developmentally inappropriate for Alberta students. We know that teachers were not properly involved in the development of this draft, and the UCP pushed the consultations through under the cover of the pandemic.”

Preliminary results from the survey show that 91 per cent of responding teachers are unhappy with the draft of the UCP curriculum, and 95 per cent of responding principals are not comfortable supporting the curriculum in their community. 

“School boards, Indigenous groups, and Francophone groups have all condemned this curriculum. Now the people who would be tasked with actually teaching it in classrooms have overwhelmingly rejected it. Jason Kenney and Adriana LaGrange must withdraw it,” said Hoffman.

Over 3,500 teachers, including school and central office leaders, completed the survey between March 29 and April 7, 2021. 

Since its release, eight school districts across the province have notified the Government that they will not be piloting the draft curriculum. The Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations and the Metis Nation of Alberta have both called for it to be withdrawn. There are numerous factual errors in the draft, which has also drawn several serious allegations of plagiarism.

On Tuesday, NDP Leader Rachel Notley committed to reversing the Kenney curriculum and immediately opening broad consultations on a new one if elected in 2023.