Petitions, Protests, and the Threat of the Shredder: Curriculum Debates in Alberta with Amy von Heyking

Our official K-12 school curriculum embodies the state’s answer to the question: What must children learn so they can function appropriately as adults in our society? Answering this question is always complicated because it is an expression of what we, as a society, value. The past decade, however, has seen public and professional discussion around curriculum reform descend into ideologically-driven, partisan conflict in Alberta. This talk will address what makes curriculum development complex and how and why the process has become so contentious in the past decade. Finally, it will suggest how we might move forward to ensure that Alberta students get the high-quality curriculum they deserve.

 

Speaker:    Amy von Heyking

Moderator:  Beverly Muendel-Atherstone

 

Amy von Heyking is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge. Her PhD in Educational Policy Studies focused on the history of Alberta school curriculum, particularly citizenship education. She is the author of Creating Citizens: History and Identity in Alberta Schools (2006). She has published books and articles on the history of Canadian schooling, curriculum studies, and history teaching and learning. She served on the Minister of Education’s Curriculum Advisory Panel in 2019-20