Province to talk to Albertans about new social studies curriculum

Sep 20, 2023 | 3:22 PM

Alberta’s government says it is beginning a transparent and collaborative process to engage Albertans and education partners to redraft kindergarten to Grade 6 (K-6) social studies curriculum.

Using the valuable feedback Albertans have provided over the last two years, provincial officials say Alberta Education is redrafting the K-6 social studies curriculum to ensure content builds students’ critical thinking and communication skills, enhances Indigenous, multicultural and francophone perspectives and is age and developmentally appropriate. To inform the redrafting process, the ministry says it is engaging with Albertans and education partners through a comprehensive and phased approach.

“Social studies is a critical component of Alberta’s K-12 curriculum, which is why I am proud to announce a new plan to engage with Albertans. As minister of education, I envision a social studies curriculum that will empower students to develop important life skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, while fostering their ability to articulate ideas and understand diverse world views,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education. “I am confident this engagement process with teachers, parents, Indigenous, Métis, multicultural and francophone leaders, subject matter experts, school boards and others will build a comprehensive curriculum that sets our students up for a lifetime of success.”

Earlier this summer, government officials say the education minister met with various education partners to build an understanding of the new engagement approach and process for curriculum development going forward.

Alberta Education says it is beginning the next phase of engagement and will gather information about what Albertans would like students to learn in the social studies curriculum through a survey and discussion guide online, which will be available until Oct. 16.

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This fall, the government says Alberta Education will meet with education partners, teachers, multicultural organizations, Indigenous and francophone communities, and other education specialists to inform the development of the scope and sequence of K-12 social studies curriculum and the content of draft K-6 social studies curriculum. Curriculum scope and sequence is said to be a planning tool for curriculum developers that outlines the focus for student learning from kindergarten to Grade 12 and informs the development of curriculum content.

In early 2024, the government says Alberta Education will begin public engagement with Albertans, where they will have the opportunity to provide feedback on key learnings within the K-12 social studies curriculum and view the draft K-6 social studies curriculum to provide additional feedback.

Throughout the 2024-25 school year, teachers will be able to pilot refined draft K-6 social studies curriculum in classrooms and provide further feedback as part of the final phase of engagement, say government officials.

Collaborating with education partners and Albertans at different stages of the engagement process are hoped to ensure their knowledge and perspectives are considered at the right time. This targeted approach is expected to allow the government to hear from a diverse range of stakeholders and leverage their expertise for curriculum development and implementation.

“Teachers must play a key role in curriculum development in order for implementation to succeed,” says Jason Schilling, president, Alberta Teachers’ Association.

“Comprehensive, thoughtful and authentic engagement with teachers, education partners and the public is critical to the process. This new plan puts social studies curriculum development back on track and headed in a better direction. It provides a model for moving forward in other subject areas and on other issues facing education.”

“Alberta’s students deserve a rich and diverse curriculum that supports them as they become contributing global citizens,” adds Brandi Rai, president, Alberta School Councils’ Association. “ASCA’s member school councils welcome this meaningful collaboration to redraft the K-6 social studies curriculum through broad consultation and thorough review. Understanding the complexities of classrooms, the timeline for consultation, review and validation is very much appreciated.”

Rakhi Pancholi, Alberta NDP Critic for Education, made the following statement in response:

“Albertans saw first-hand what happened when the UCP decided to politicize the development and content of Alberta’s curriculum. This was clearly the wrong approach, especially for students. Any way forward must de-politicize the curriculum and return to a process that ensures teachers, experts, parents and students are meaningfully involved in its development.

“I hope that the UCP will ensure that as many teachers, parents and students as possible are able to meaningfully engage both with the survey and with the redrafted curriculum, once it is available. As well, post-secondary curriculum and subject matter experts, as well as Indigenous and cultural leaders should also be engaged to collaborate with the curriculum development process.

“I am disappointed that today’s announcement did not include what resources would be made available to support implementation of the new social studies curriculum. This is particularly relevant as schools, classrooms and teachers are stretched to their limits due to years of UCP underfunding. Ensuring teachers and students are set up for success should be the UCP’s top priority.”

Alberta government quick facts

Social studies is an interdisciplinary subject area that includes content about history, geography, economics, government and civics. Social studies education can build active, informed and responsible citizens who contribute to their communities and are knowledgeable about rights, responsibilities and decision-making.

by rdnewsNOW staff