The results of a public survey on Alberta’s school curriculum overhaul were released Thursday and show there is strong support for career-focused learning.
The first phase of the redesign included some round-table discussions and several online surveys, which were launched last fall.
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More than 32,000 Albertans logged on to fill out the online surveys, nearly half of which were parents with children in the school system, the province said.
The first round of surveys looked at areas where Alberta could improve. The vast majority of Albertans agreed the curriculum should focus on pathways to post-secondary education and careers after exiting the school system.
Survey results found people feel improvement is needed when it comes to students setting goals, being taught to be accountable for their decisions, and topics like financial literacy at a younger age.
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The second phase of surveys begins right away and will once again include face-to-face discussions, online surveys and round tables.
Education Minister David Eggen says parents will be included every step of the way.
“I want presentations from all groups that are interested in developing fair, balanced curriculum that reflects who we are as Albertans and the skills we want to impart on our students.”
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Ministerial approval for the Kindergarten to Grade 4 curriculum changes is expected in 2018. Approval for Grades 11 and 12 won’t come until December 2022.
The fall 2016 provincial curriculum survey was divided into two parts. Part A of the survey was designed to understand Albertans’ thoughts on K-12 provincial curriculum. Part B was designed to let people provide subject-specific feedback on the current K-12 provincial curriculum.
A total of 32,391 individuals responded to Part A of the survey and 25,615 individuals responded to Part B.