Spotlight Staff
More than 32,000 Albertans had their say on the future of the provincial curriculum in a survey released last fall.
Survey participants agreed that Alberta’s kindergarten-to- Grade-12 curriculum should open up pathways to careers and other post-secondary opportunities, states a government news release dated April 13.
Alberta’s curriculum should help students build a positive future for Alberta and prepare them for a more diversified economy.
“We know that Albertans want curriculum that prepares students to be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers,” Education Minister David Eggen says.
“Our development of new curriculum will make life better for our students.
Targeted timelines for ministerial approval of curriculum development are set to start in December 2018 with kindergarten to Grade 4, and continue with higher grades in December 2020.
“This survey, combined with other public engagement tools, is providing valuable direction for the teachers working to draft new curriculum,” says Mark Ramsankar, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
“Parent and public input combined with teacher professional judgment ensures that we will have an effective and responsive curriculum for Alberta students going forward.”
Alberta School Councils’ Association also supports the improvements.
“The fall survey was a great opportunity for parents to provide feedback on the current curriculum and what students need to learn going forward,” says president Allison Pike.
“Changing Alberta’s curriculum is the first step to ensure students are well prepared to meet the challenges of our future.”
The Fall 2016 Provincial Curriculum Survey was divided into two parts. Part A of the survey was designed to understand Albertans’ support for the direction of development of K-12 provincial curriculum. Part B was designed to let people provide subject-specific feedback on the current K–12 provincial curriculum. A total of 32,391 individuals responded to Part A of the survey and 25,615 individuals responded to Part B.
-93% of respondents to Part A agreed that K–12 curriculum should open pathways to careers and other post-secondary opportunities, building a positive future for Alberta and preparing students for a more diversified economy.
-97% of respondents to Part A agreed that students should learn to set goals, make responsible choices and be accountable for their decisions.
-92% of respondents to Part A agreed that through learning outcomes, curriculum should support the development of literacy, numeracy and 21st-century competencies.
-Respondents in nearly all subject areas in Part B supported the development of critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills.
-A significant number of respondents in Part B commented on the need for students to leave the K-12 system with a level of preparedness that would allow them to be successful in further studies, in the workplace, and in their communities. This included career preparation and financial literacy.
Quick facts
The survey was the first of many opportunities for parents, teachers and students to provide feedback during a six-year process to develop new curriculum across six subjects.
Curriculum is being reviewed and updated in the six core subject areas: language arts (English, French, français), mathematics, social studies, sciences, arts and wellness education.