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By Shaun Penner

Draft K-6 Curriculum

Alberta unveils updated draft Grade K-6 curriculum

Mar 29, 2021 | 11:05 AM

Alberta’s United Conservative government unveiled its draft updated Grade K-6 curriculum Monday, which it says puts renewed focus on literacy, numeracy, citizenship and practical skills.

The draft curriculum comes after what the government says was a year of consultation with parents, teachers and subject matter experts, with the goal of modernizing the province’s curriculum following “years of decline”.

The province says Alberta dropped from first out of 45 countries in Grade 4 results in reading literacy in the Progress in the International Reading Literacy Study in 2006, to 17^th out of 50 countries in 2016. Similar declines were also seen in math and science among Grade 4 students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science studies between 2007 and 2019.

“The new curriculum delivers on our commitment to Albertans to refocus learning on essential knowledge and skills in order to give our children the best possible chance at success,” said Education Minister Adriana LaGrange. “Parents and teachers have waited a long time for this, and I’m pleased to say that we’ve delivered.”

The draft curriculum focuses on four main themes, detailed by the province below:

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Literacy

Using phonics and other proven best practices, students will be taught to master reading, writing, speaking and listening in order to build a strong foundation for learning.

Numeracy

By learning to think fluently about numbers and equations, students will gain essential knowledge for everyday tasks and a foundation for more complex learning in the future.

Citizenship

Drawing from history, geography, economics, civics, and other studies, students will develop an appreciation of how Canadians have built one of the most generous, prosperous, and diverse societies in the world.

Practical skills

From household budgeting, to digital literacy, business planning, healthy relationships and the importance of consent, students will learn a new set of essential skills that will prepare them for success in the real world.

The draft curriculum also features topics including financial literacy, computer science and consent.

“I am thrilled that the Alberta government has ensured that consent will be taught as an essential part of the K-6 curriculum. I have been advocating for these changes for many years and applaud this leadership,” said Sheldon Kennedy, the co-founder of the Respect Group. “We clearly know that this topic thrives on society’s ignorance and indifference so the sooner we give our young people the tools and confidence, the better.”

Students will also begin to learn about First Nations treaties in Grade 4 social studies. Discussion and teachings around the history of residential schools will begin in Grade 5 and reinforced in Grade 6.

“We believed that education, in general, is the key to reconciliation and with the work done to date; it is consistent with the United Nations Declaration in the promotion of respectful relationships between citizens,” said Former Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, a former member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. “I am honoured to be a validator to the new education curriculum and look forward to its transforming and positive change.”

It also calls for students to be introduced to world religions, Canada’s history, as well as the experiences of the Black and Francophone community.

The province says the draft curriculum will now likely be piloted in classrooms across Alberta that choose to participate under a classroom validation process starting in the fall of 2021.

Public feedback on the draft curriculum is being accepted from now until the spring of 2022 on the government’s website. Following the pilot next school year and the public feedback, the finalized curriculum for Grades K-6 is expected to be in place by the 2022-23 school year.

The province says the next steps will then be to rollout a draft Grade 7 to 10 curriculum to pilot in the fall of 2022, while the Grade 11 and 12 curriculum is expected to be piloted starting in September, 2023.

The government adds that $6-million has been set aside this fiscal year to support schools involved in the classroom validation process. The funds will be used to develop “critical resources and professional development” to support teachers through the validation phase.