Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium was buzzing when Margaret Atwood took the stage. On November 12, the renowned Canadian author presented a public lecture on “Democracy, Public Education and the Common Good,” hosted by the ATA in partnership with Calgary Catholic Local No. 55 and Calgary Public Local No. 38.
Nearly 2,500 people packed the auditorium, with hundreds more from across the world watching via a livestream. The public lecture was moderated by author and speaker Shari Graydon, who opened the discussion by asking Atwood about her favourite teachers growing up.
“From high school — it was my exemplary teacher, Miss Bessie B. Billings,” Atwood recalled. “It was she who decided that I had some talent as a writer.”
When asked about getting students engaged with subjects like history and science, Atwood’s suggestion was simple: make it interesting.
“We’re living in a world where we are overwhelmed by information, social media, misinformation and living in news bubbles,” which makes getting through to kids, and their parents, more crucial — and difficult.
On the current context
The public lecture delved into important topics concerning the current landscape of public education in Alberta. After being asked about some of the policy and outside influences affecting public education in Alberta, Atwood commented that resisting the pressure from such influences rests in the hands of voters.
“Do you want to let somebody influence your public education system in a direction of saying there shouldn’t be a public education system?” she mused. “That seems to me to be pretty self-defeating.”
Atwood also commented on the recent U.S. presidential election. When asked about the result, Atwood turned to humour before predicting Donald Trump’s win means a return to speaking openly about class, something she says hasn’t been widely discussed since the 1940s.
“Public education has to do with class,” Atwood said, “Because if you can’t afford it, public education is your only resource for your kids. So, there’s home schooling, of course. But guess what? In a lot of families, both parents have to go to work.”
The nature of public education was raised throughout the evening. Following a question from the moderator, Atwood spoke on public education as a pillar of democracy and whether we must come close to losing it to really understand its value.
“I don’t think you’re close to losing it yet, but you’re closer than you were. It used to be something that people took for granted.”
Atwood left the audience with a powerful reminder: society is more united than it appears, even if human nature distorts that view. ❚
