Alberta is rolling out its flag restrictions in schools across the province. As of Jan. 4, the only flags allowed year-round in schools will the Alberta and Canadian flags, the Vatican City flag, sports team flags and municipal flags. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday that the limitations will “remove politics and ideology” in classrooms. “We want to make sure that our classrooms and our schools are focused on helping our kids learn how to read, write, and prepare for the future and not get embroiled into potentially divisive social or political issues,” Nicolaides said. The rules were originally set to come into effect on Sept. 1, but were delayed amid backlash to proposed changes in the Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms. The Vatican City flag is the only religious flag permitted under the regulation. Flags like the Franco-Albertan flag or First Nation, Métis, and foreign national flags will be allowed to go up during official visits or on specific dates, such as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Pride flags are not allowed under the new regulation, even during Pride Month or if it relates to a program of study. Critics have argued restricting flags is unnecessary and ignores the real problems facing an overburdened system. “At a time when schools are struggling to meet increasingly complex student needs, adding another layer of bureaucracy is the last thing they need,” said Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling. Schilling added the rules also raise “serious questions” about reconciliation. “Schools can display sports team flags all year, but there are restrictions on displaying the flags of First Nations and Métis communities,” he said. “Alberta’s schools stand on treaty lands and traditional territories, and Indigenous students, families and communities deserve recognition and respect every day of the year, not just on designated occasions.” Amanda Chapman, Alberta NDP education shadow minister, said the new rules don’t help students or teachers. “Albertans are worried about overcrowded classrooms and increasingly complex student needs, not policing flags,” Chapman said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton. “The conditions that led to last year’s historic teacher strike still exist in Alberta’s classrooms,” she added. “Albertans haven’t forgotten that this government used the notwithstanding clause to override teachers’ Charter rights, then used it three more times in the same legislative session. “Instead of picking fights, the UCP should focus on giving students, teachers, and schools the resources they need.” While the new flag rules were already set in legislation in spring, Nicolaides said the province needed time to nail down the details before they were implemented. He said he’s met with school divisions and stakeholders to provide clarity. For example, he said, defining what exactly constitutes a flag. “I had a school talk to me specifically about a mural wall that they have, where they have flags of the different nationalities that are represented by their student body, and so that was helpful,” Nicolaides said. “We certainly don’t want to create any restrictions on being able to celebrate diversity in that way.” Schools that want to display a flag outside of the conditions laid out in the regulation will have to put a written request into the Ministry of Education and Childcare to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. “It cannot be something that seeks to promote or advocate a social, political, or ideological cause, and there has to be some clear rationale or explanation as to why any particular flag would be necessary,” Nicolaides explained. The rules don’t apply to flags displayed on a person or personal items. The full regulation can be found here. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Chelan Skulski
