Renewed Calls From NDP On Halting Curriculum Implementation

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With the UCP going through their leadership race, the NDP is renewing calls to halt the implementation of the new K-6 curriculum.

The opposition Education Critic Sarah Hoffman says one of their concerns around it being brought in starting this fall is how schools have been affected by the pandemic.

“I think if you talk to anyone who works in a school, they’ll say the last two and a half years have been some of the most stressful times that they can ever recall. The kids as well have seen huge gaps in terms of them feeling safe and being able to learn consistently at schools. If we want to make sure that we do right by those kids, we’re gonna have to give teachers time to be involved in creating new content.”

Hoffman says whoever ends up being the education minister once a new premier is chosen, needs to work closer with teachers on the curriculum’s content.

“One of the first things that Jason Kenney and Adriana Lagrange did is that they tore up a memorandum of understanding, basically a contract that talked about the ways teachers were going to be involved in developing the curriculum. They tore that up and instead they invited people like Chris Champion to the table. Rightfully so, teachers felt slighted because they were and they’ve been wanting to get back to actually helping with this.”

Hoffman says one thing she’s heard from teachers about the curriculum, is that it doesn’t “reflect the diversity of Alberta students.”

We talked to Hoffman on the Trending 55 Hot Seat, you can hear that full discussion below.

– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom