Minister holds true to his word

A new Education Act has been released as promised by Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Jan. 10.

The plan, which calls for more opportunities for students to earn more high school and post-secondary credits while in school, will be introduced in the spring sitting of the Legislature.

The plan was drafted after collecting the opinions of thousands of parents, teachers, students and educational support staff. Data was collected through forums, social media, e-mails, mail, phone interviews and its website.

“Our intent for the consultation was to hear from those who may not have had an opportunity to share their vision for the Alberta education system. I want to extend my appreciation and a personal thank you to everyone who participated,” said Lukaszuk. “The feedback from parents, students and teachers leaves me no doubt that this review was the right thing to do.”

Forums held between Nov. 26 and Dec. 9 saw 1,130 attendees give opinions to Lukaszuk and his cabinet.

“Parents, teachers, students and others have given me two types of advice: philosophical approaches that are best addressed in legislation and practical solutions to the challenges students face every day,” said Lukaszuk. “Legislation will come forward in the spring, and work on practical steps will begin immediately.”

As school boards review the 10 points, Lukaszuk hopes people will let him know which can be accomplished in the short-term and which may be best used as longer-term practices. Other policies may require formal consideration by government.

“Albertans want the best possible learning opportunities and experiences for our students. Government’s commitment to revised legislation and this 10-point plan will make a real difference for students today and into the future,” said Lukaszuk.

The plan’s 10 points include:

• Reducing travel time for students who spend more than one hour on a bus and enabling students to better use technology when they travel;

• Creating more opportunities for students to earn credits in high school and post-secondary at the same time;

• Updating school design specifications to better support communities;

• Co-ordinating building playgrounds and new schools;

• Reducing the administrative burden for charter schools;

• Supporting First Nations students by working more closely with the federal government;

• Creating a stronger voice for parents in the education system;

• Providing better information to increase the transparency, clarity and accountability of the education system;

• Reviewing provincial achievement tests;

• Examining the operational requirements of full-day kindergarten.