Rally held over 'incredibly outdated' curriculum at the Alberta legislature

Hundreds protest curriculum review A crowd gathered at the legislature Wednesday to protest the UCP curriculum review. CTV News Edmonton's Timm Bruch reports.

Dozens of people came out over the noon hour on Wednesday to protest the UCP government's curriculum review process.

The protest was organized after the province announced last week it was creating a new panel to review and enhance the revamped curriculum.

“We consulted hundreds of thousands of Albertans, and it's really disappointing to see that work is being slowed,” Opposition MLA Janis Irwin said last week.

The organizers say they are unhappy with the UCP's delaying of the rollout for the new kindergarten to Grade 4 curriculums. They also say the province's panel is not properly assembled, that there are no current teachers and it lacks indigenous and LGBTQ representation.

“We know that the people who know the curriculum best are the ones who are actually teaching it and they deserve a seat at the table,” said organizer Emma Jackson. “I would say overall across the board our curriculum is incredibly outdated. Every single aspect of it needs to be brought up to date.”

The Alberta Teachers' Association also spoke out about this review panel last week.

“It makes me wonder about Alberta Education and the minister's ideologies where it comes around the involvement of the association and teachers in this process,” said ATA President Jason Schilling.

But the government says further consultation was needed.

“I did feel it did not engage all the partners,” said Education Minister Adriana LaGrange. “While the ATA, their focus is on teachers, and my focus is on student learning.”

The education minister insists teachers will still be consulted. The panel will report back in December and the government will open consolations with parents and students in the next year.