Ninety-one per cent of teachers are unhappy with the new draft of the kindergarten to Grade 6 curriculum, according to an Alberta Teachers’ Association survey.
The association said preliminary results show that 90 per cent of elementary school teachers are uncomfortable teaching the new K–6 curriculum, and 95 per cent of principals are uncomfortable supporting the curriculum in their school and community.
“We wanted to give teachers time to review the documents and provide their feedback to us since the government failed to engage teachers in the curriculum process. But the preliminary data is overwhelming: this draft curriculum is fatally flawed,” said ATA president Jason Schilling
“Teachers are the experts. Teachers know what will work in a classroom and what will not, and they are overwhelmingly telling us that this curriculum won’t work for Alberta’s elementary students.”
Over 3,500 teachers, including school and central office leaders, completed the survey between March 29 and April 7.
Feedback also showed that teachers strongly believe the new curriculum is both age and developmentally inappropriate, and has not been logically sequenced.
Schilling said that teachers’ analysis included assessing the curriculum in terms of the government’s own preset measures for success, including whether it was logical and developmentally appropriate, and reflected diverse perspectives, lifestyles and beliefs.
“It is clear that the problem with this curriculum is that teachers were not sufficiently engaged in its development and their concerns were not addressed. The feedback shows that the government has failed its own mission. If the government is serious about producing a strong curriculum, it needs to listen to what teachers are telling them.”
He said the ATA is prepared to make a positive contribution to addressing the curriculum’s flaws in an effort to develop a curriculum that is appropriate and coherent and enjoys broad public support among Albertans.
The ATA will provide updates and a final report to the government and the public throughout the process.