Why is UCP reversing education curriculum?
By Letter to the Editor on February 26, 2021.
Editor:
From October to November 2016, Albertans were invited by the NDP government to participate in a Provincial Kindergarten to Grade 12 (KÐ12) Curriculum Survey.
Results from a closed-ended survey of Albertans in 2016 indicated strong support for much of the content in the then-current curriculum across all subjects.
However, recently the UCP decided to review the curriculum once more. Recently a leaked document outlining proposed changes to the Alberta K to 12 curriculum came to my attention. The proposed changes are regressive, racist, not backed up by research and vastly out of step with education in most of North America.
Since it is apparent that most Albertans were happy with the current school curriculum why is our government revising it?
One reason seems to be that the government wants religion back in the schools, not just any religion, but the particular narrow school of thought known as Dominion Theology that many of the UCP ministers and supporters believe they have been “called” to champion and spread.
However, Alberta is a liberal democracy that accepts and protects freedom of religion (and freedom from religion), supported by a political divide between the spiritual and temporal.
Since the UCP is being paid by the citizens of Alberta, why are they implementing policies which clearly do not represent the views of most Albertans? Why are we paying for a curriculum review that is not needed and that we don’t want?
Why are non-Albertans being paid to review our curriculum when Alberta Education already has an excellent program of studies which is respected around the world and is the program of choice for international schools?
Albertans deserve a government that respects democracy, public education and freedom of religion, a government that represents Albertans.
They need to focus on the very critical issues facing our province rather than on their secretive, authoritarian. I urge you to challenge your premier and your MLAs to preserve our excellent curriculum and our strong public education system.
Carolyn Schoepp
Drayton Valley
-1
If true and “Dominion Theology” is part of the narrative, then be afraid, very afraid! As if the religious right does not have enough influence , now the UCP would thrust this antiquated belief in vulnerable children.
There are no doubt some Albertans who will embrace this “teaching” , many of whom are from southern climes.
“God” help us all…….
Yes, Legrange apparently wants to instill ‘civil virtue’ in young Albertans, but thinks Reconciliation (an example of civil ethics) is ‘a fad’ in which the story if residential schools should be avoided. Contradictions abound.
There’s a slew of studies that link prejudice, conservatism, and low IQ.
I think the de-funding of education across the USA for the last 30 years was an intentional act by neo-liberal Ronald Reagan to diminish the capacity to create a well informed, educated, politically active public.
Kenney is of a similar mindset. Just “educate” enough to pull levers and push buttons to create conservatives; who merely parrot back their parents’ racist, sexist, small world viewpoints. Essentially keep conservatives in power by limiting educational resources. This government is opposed to having a well informed, well educated, politically active, thoughtful voting population.
The more well educated and informed people are, the less likely they are to vote for progressive political parties and policies.
ouch – no wonder hard core cons do not see how silly and nasty are so many of their beliefs.
the mention of reagan is worth this tidbit. many will know him as a lying squealer (ruining lives of those that believed in advancing humanity through egalitarian and humane approaches to society), whereby he pointed condemning fingers at decent people during the usa flavour of the day witch hunt that was the 1950s red scare. other know him as among the top few “greatest” presidents. and yet, during his two terms, where he lowered taxes for the very wealthiest, and funnelled public monies further into those same pockets by upping spending immeasurably in the industrial war complex, reagan’s 2 terms – reaganomics/neo-liberalism – underwrote the usa’s fall from being the world’s biggest creditor nation to the world’s leading debtor nation.
You have just described the Klein , Stelmach, Redford and Kenney governments. Looking after their rich friends is far more important to them than the well being of average Albertans as former MLAs from the Lougheed era taught me.
*The more well educated and informed people are, the MORE likely they are to vote for progressive political parties and policies.*
Silly oversight bothered me upon second reading.
Great comments guys. Keep the people uneducated and easy to control is what a university professor taught me years ago. Fool them with lies and these Reformers are masters at it. They certainly fooled a lot of Albertans.
Now they aren’t even smart enough to handle the vaccine shot handouts properly. I was talking to a friend last night and she had a very intelligent solution. They should have used the alphabet. Have people with last names starting with A to E phone for appointments the first day, ones from F to I the next day etc. Instead it was a free for all and a complete disaster here in Edmonton with people showing up who hadn’t even bothered to get an appointment because they couldn’t get through.
I am 77 years old and I am getting my first shot tomorrow, yet my B.C. relatives in their early 80s have been told not to expect to get theirs until April and they aren’t throwing a hissy-fit like Albertans are doing because Kenney taught them to blame it on Ottawa.