Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling has issued the following statement regarding the introduction of Bill 25 and amendments to the Education Act :
“Bill 25, introduced today, is a grab-bag of amendments to the Education Act . It includes changes to rules on a wide range of topics, ranging from flags to facility names, and numeracy to the national anthem. While vague, this legislation may impact teachers and school leaders directly and indirectly, positively and negatively. We need to look beyond the clickbait title of this bill to understand its full scope—it has very little to do with politics and ideology, at least in the classroom.
Before any regulations are implemented in our schools, the Association needs to be consulted, which it has not been so far. The Association expects to be an engaged partner so that we can bring real-world classroom perspectives to the government’s plans for education.
Today’s announcement contributes little to address the concerns teachers and school leaders are facing today. We will monitor the implementation of these amendments to the Education Act but will not allow them to distract from the critical issues still affecting teachers and students.”
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 51,000 members.