Responding to Alberta Curriculum
Statement regarding Alberta Education Curriculum Changes
May 6, 2021
At the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) our mission is to advance a culture of peace and human rights through education and community building guided by the principles of Human Rights. We uphold education and dialogue as critical pathways to achieving equity and dignity, freedom and justice.
We raise our voices in concern about the proposed revisions to Alberta’s curriculum, along with many colleagues, educators and community stakeholders across the province. The current curriculum still had a long way to go to be up to par with a society that embraces inclusion and dignity of all peoples; the proposed revision does not take us forward, but rather takes us backward.
We believe that education is fundamental in achieving one’s full humanity; the realization of our cultural, social, economic and political rights and responsibilities. We are alarmed at the removal of the only reference to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms from the Grade 6 curriculum. This one reference to the Charter was not enough to begin with as this important national document holds the accountability mechanism for our rights and democratic obligations and is foundational to our political and social freedom of participation.
Some of the changes and glaring omissions proposed in the new Alberta Curriculum uplift narrow versions of history, focus on memorization and out-dated, rigid learning models of the past. We know that the story we tell about the history of Alberta and Canada frames what communities and narratives are valued. When we leave out the key milestones and experiences of Alberta’s diverse peoples and identities, we are excluding their dignity, participation, security and belonging.
This is a step backwards that we cannot afford.
Our educational approach values diversity, inclusion and reconciling with hard truths. We affirm the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 10 (iii), developing culturally appropriate curricula. In addition, we uphold the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ whose rights are fundamentally linked to the representation of First People’s histories, languages and identities within the education system. We don’t see these values represented in the proposed new curriculum. We call on the Government of Alberta to repeal these revisions and seek guidance from the community, educators and experts who have already worked tirelessly to create a curriculum that reflects some of the underrepresented narratives and important conversations that still need to be had; regarding peace, dignity and rights of all.
Further, we call for the Government of Alberta to ensure the equal representation of youth voice and perspective in any consultations regarding curriculum revision. Participation, especially for young people, is a fundamental pillar of rights legislation and protected under both the Universal Declaration for Human Rights as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The curriculum is developed for children and youth and therefore they must be included as key stakeholders with important knowledge and feedback in any processes moving forward. We are particularly concerned about the lack of voice and perspective of young people who are Indigenous, Black, newcomer, gender diverse, living with disability.
As a province, we should be stepping forward boldly as we embrace our multiculturalism rather than hiding the important stories that shape our social fabric. For it is in the education system that we can break the cycle of hate and discrimination through our younger generations.