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Alberta Legislature. (Image Credit: ID 5343872 © Jeff Whyte | Dreamstime.com)
By Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
Provincial Politics

Alberta delaying new restrictions on flags in schools, national anthem mandate

Aug 14, 2026 | 10:54 AM

Alberta is delaying until later this year the implementation of new rules restricting which flags can be flown in schools.

The province says it’s also delaying a new mandate for schools to play the national anthem once a week.

The new rules were expected to come in effect on Sept. 1 in time for the school year.

They stem from a bill passed in the spring that the government had said was meant to remove ideology from the classroom.

Parts of the bill will still take effect come September, including a new student code of conduct prohibiting violence and new power for the education minister to set priorities for school boards.

The government says it’s still committed to implementing the rest of the changes but it’s taking a measured approach to make sure the new rules are brought in effectively.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2026.

by Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press