Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides announce Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee on Nov. 7, 2025. Photo capture via YourAlberta YouTube

By Erika Rolling

Provincial Politics

Province forms cabinet committee to tackle classroom challenges

Nov 7, 2025 | 1:02 PM

The Alberta government says it is taking action to address class sizes and complexities in schools around the province by creating a cabinet committee task force of eleven members.

Premier Danielle Smith says it has been a difficult start to the 2025-26 school year.

She says issues remain with teachers, after ending their strike on October 29 through enacting Bill 2 and forcing them back into classrooms.

“We are here to listen, we are here to work with you to charter a new path forward, and we’re here to take action. This is not just another working group or panel; this is a committee ready to make decisions and implement change immediately and with urgency.”

Smith says throughout November, the provincial government will work with school boards to collect data on class sizes and composition.

“That data will help us set the criteria to guide the Minister of Education and Childcare in allocating resources to classrooms and to inform our work to reduce complexity and address classroom disruptions.”

Over the next number of months, the committee is to hear from school boards, educators, educational assistants, complex needs specialists, parents, and more to gather feedback to make decisions on funding and targeting resources, according to the Premier.

In June 2025, the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team was established and the new committee will work on recommendations made in their completed report to reduce disruptions in classes and provide more supports for students and teachers. The report is to be released in the coming weeks.

There will be 3,000 teachers and 1,500 educational assistants hired over the next three years. Also, there are 130 new schools to be built, along with 109 modular classrooms for growing communities that are in need of more learning space.

The Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee has representatives of government, school boards, and the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

The people on the committee include:

• Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta
• Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare
• Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services
• Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
• Searle Turton, Minister of Child and Family Services
• Lynnette Anderson, chief superintendent, Edmonton Catholic Schools
• Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools
• Marilyn Dennis, former president of Alberta School Boards Association
• Mike McMann, superintendent, Fort Vermilion Schools and President, College of Alberta School Superintendents
• Joanne Pitman, chief superintendent, Calgary Board of Education
• Dr. Elissa Corsi, Alberta Teachers’ Association

Only those in cabinet are allowed to vote in the committee. The province says that school boards have until Nov. 24 to submit data on Alberta classrooms.

The province also says the committee will guide the creation of a new inclusive education policy framework.