Alberta launches second engagement on updated draft K-6 social studies curriculum

Alberta’s draft K-6 social studies curriculum is once again under the microscope. Once widely criticized for being age-inappropriate and culturally exclusive, the province is back with a redo and looking for input from Albertans.

The province announced its plans to engage on an updated draft of the new elementary school curriculum Thursday.

It says the staggered approach began with consultation from various education and community partners, along with curriculum development specialists, followed by a public engagement looking into key priorities.

“The new social studies curriculum will contain five streams of learning — history, geography, economics, political science and civics, and citizenship,” said Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides. “Students will be exposed to topics in each of these areas in each grade.”

He says the second public engagement is open until March 29.

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“Albertans can provide feedback on key learnings with the new draft K-12 social studies curriculum through a feedback form on alberta.ca,” Nicolaides explained. “Their feedback will be used to further refine the draft K-6 social studies curriculum before it is expected to be released in the spring, so that we can help teachers prepare for optional classroom piloting.”

He adds curriculum for grades 7-12 will be developed in the coming months, but Albertans can explore the subject overview and draft content now on the government website.

“Today, in addition to the new 2024 draft K-6 curriculum, my department is also releasing an overview of the proposed draft for the K-12 curriculum for Albertans to view and provide feedback on,” Nicolaides said. “The draft K-12 social studies overview provides a summary of what students learn in each grade and shows how learning progresses as students transition through the grades.”

The Opposition NDP says the new curriculum has been delayed significantly, and now the government is just trying to get it done.

“They are rushing the rollout of a new curriculum, asking educators — who are already overworked and underfunded — to pay the price for their mistake,” education and services to children with disabilities critic, Amanda Chapman, said in a statement.

“The last time the UCP tried to re-write their curriculum, it was widely rejected by Albertans as racist, age-inappropriate and a complete misrepresentation of the history of Indigenous Peoples,” she continued. “That ended up being thrown out, which squandered time and public resources and ultimately failed to build a modern curriculum that all students can see themselves in and that prepared them for success in their lives.  

“No one denies this curriculum needs updating, but it’s the UCP’s own lack of proper consultation that created this delay in the first place.”

Albertans can provide feedback at alberta.ca/curriculum-have-your-say