Only 17% of Albertans support K-6 draft curriculum: ATA poll

CALGARY – The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) says Albertans are largely opposed to the government’s K-6 draft curriculum with fewer than a fifth of those polled saying they support the draft.

Seventeen per cent of Albertans polled say they believe the draft laid out by the UCP will provide students with the knowledge ad skills they need for success.

More than half, 53 per cent, said they disagree with the draft with 34 per cent saying they strongly disagree with the proposed curriculum changes.

“Albertans are saying to us that the curriculum is poorly done, and it is inappropriate for students. They also recognize that the problem was largely created because teachers were left out of the planning,” said ATA president Jason Schilling in a release.

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“I know government officials will say 100 teachers were included last fall, but until they produce an unfiltered report on those sessions and release the teachers from their gag order, I have no reason to believe that those teachers were meaningfully engaged or that their feedback was even used.”

The ATA has largely opposed the new curriculum offered up by the government.

Many of Alberta’s major school boards, including the Calgary Board of Education and Rocky View Schools, have decided to not adopt it for the coming school year.

The poll was conducted by Environics for the ATA.