Nazi references to be removed from school guideline, says Alberta education minister

The Alberta government is removing a Nazi reference in one of its educational documents after coming under fire over controversial guidelines that appear to compliment the Nazis.

A Jewish human rights foundation wrote to the education minister over the province’s “Guidelines for Recognizing Diversity and Promoting Respect” promoting both positive and negative behaviours of various groups.

The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre says the UCP uses the Nazi regime as an example, pointing to a line in the document outlining the guidelines.

“If a video details war atrocities committed by the Nazis, does it also point out that before World War II, German government policies substantially strengthened the country’s economy?” reads the document.

The centre says it’s shocking that the Alberta Ministry of Education would consider the genocidal Nazi regime as an example of a group that had positive impacts, given the murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others.

“In what world could collaboration or cooperation have taken place between Nazis and the groups they targeted for complete annihilation?” said Michael Levitt, President and CEO of FSWC in a statement.

“The fact that Alberta students could have possibly been fed such an outrageous proposition is extremely troubling. We expect the Ministry of Education to address this issue immediately.”

Read the full “Guidelines for Recognizing Diversity and Promoting Respect” from the Alberta government below:

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says she was first made aware of the “extremely concerning” views included in the document Friday morning.

She says the views are completely unacceptable.

This morning it was brought to my attention that there was an Alberta Education document entitled, “Guidelines for Recognizing Diversity and Promoting Respect”, which contains extremely concerning and completely unacceptable views. 1/5 #AbLeg

— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) November 12, 2021

“This was the first time that I or anyone in my office had seen this document, and I immediately instructed my department to remove it from all Alberta Education publications,” she wrote on Twitter.

“The wrongheaded views outlined have no place in our society and I categorically denounce what is written. There is not a ‘positive’ side to tell of the murderous Nazi regime, as this document wrongfully suggests.”

The wrongheaded views outlined have no place in our society and I categorically denounce what is written. There is not a “positive” side to tell of the murderous Nazi regime, as this document wrongfully suggests. 3/5 #AbLeg

— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) November 12, 2021

She also says that the educational guidelines from her ministry have nothing to do with the controversial K-6 draft curriculum.

LaGrange’s office also says the guidelines document dates back to 1984, but says the comments were just as wrong then as they are now.