Degrading Education

I have not posted to this blog in a long time, but recent news in Alberta’s education system have renewed my interest in vocalizing my disagreement with the way the Ministry of Education, and its minister, Mr. Jeff Johnson, are conducting themselves.

First, I admit that I am not objective: I work in education. Given the discourse surrounding Alberta Education, perhaps I should say that I am in the education business. I am not objective because I am passionate about education: I believe it does not just improve lives with access to better jobs simply because I think education can radically alter lives, change the perception of an individual entirely. I am not objective: I passionately believe that education improves not just individuals but creates a better society, a better Alberta, a better world. To continue employing the rhetoric of Alberta education: I am an educational fundamentalist.

Recently, there were three news items that disturbed me greatly: 1) Motion 503, to allow for the creation of Gay-Straight Alliances in all schools in Alberta (thank you Mr. Hehr!), was voted down (thank you “Progressive” Conservatives and Wild Rose Party); 2) The Calgary Herald reported on two schools—fully funded by tax payers—that discriminate based on sexuality, make their students and staff sign contracts that make “immoral sexual acts” an offence resulting in termination of employment or expulsion; 3) Several oil and gas corporations are considered “stakeholders” in the curriculum redesign (including for K-3 education).

I will first address the third point: I do not care what has been the practice in the past. Simply put, oil and gas corporations of any kind are NOT stakeholders in education. The end result of education is not a job; it is a benefit of education, a “by-product,” to use the increasingly corporatized language of education. The primary goal of education is education. That is all. I can’t believe I just had to type that. Mr. Dan Scratch (@DanScratch03) has been tweeting and blogging about this topic for some time, including this recent blog post: http://danscratch.blogspot.ca/2014/04/the-silence-is-deafening.html

Items 1) and 2) on my list of “things that disturb me” are clearly related. Ms. Paula Simons (@paulatics) has recently written a great piece in The Edmonton Journal: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Simons+Government+duty+fund+teaching+intolerance/9746197/story.html

Item 1) Motion 503. I am not surprised that the motion was voted down. Perhaps Mr. Hehr simply wanted to bring to Albertans' attention that it is ridiculous to have a costly duplication of educational services because of religion and the inherent inequality this duplication breeds: GSAs, loss of money, and unfair hiring practices are only a few problems that emerge.  As Ms. Simons’ article (and Twitter feed) indicate, developing discriminatory educational practices based on education goes back to the Alberta Act (1905), and the educational discrimination was, if I recall, grandfathered in from the 1875 North West Territories Act. Yes, our laws on education, religious segregation, and discrimination are based on Acts created the year before Alexander Graham Bell first transmitted a voice. Think about that. 

I suppose, then, that it should come as no surprise that my children’s School Board had to hold an emergency meeting to address the fact that one of their schools was flagrantly defying the Charter. Although the school disallowed “immoral sexual acts” with contracts with their staff and students, The Calgary Herald reported that the school’s website explicitly referenced tobacco, alcohol, pornography, and homosexual acts as forbidden. This is 2014, and a school is stipulating what a teacher cannot do in her or his bedroom. Really. Further, as far as I know, students in grade seven are not legally able to sign contracts, but perhaps there is some obscure Salem Document-Signing Act of 1692 that says it’s legal for children to sign contracts (and accuse people of being witches), so long as they state the following oath: “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” To me, that seems as relevant as an Act of 1875 (before Alberta was a province) dictating how we now teach our children.

Here’s a quick summary of my thoughts: Education by the people, for the people. Religion for the religious by the religious, without public funds. Business…well, business as usual.