'A failure': Teachers overwhelmingly oppose K-6 draft curriculum, ATA reports

The Alberta Teachers' Association released a report today based on feedback from thousands of members that says the draft K to 6 curriculum currently being piloted by hundreds of teachers and students across the province doesn't measure up.

The association is calling for an immediate halt to the pilot and demanding a new curriculum be developed under the leadership of Alberta teachers, diverse groups and teaching experts.

The report includes survey results from teachers, schools leaders (such as principals) and school district leaders, and the results are overwhelming.

Of the more than 6,000 teachers and school leaders who participated, 95 per cent indicated they do not believe the draft curriculum provides age-appropriate content that is logically sequenced within each grade, and from grade to grade.

ATA president Jason Schilling said that is just one of many concerns raised by teachers.

"Math, teachers are saying that a lot of the concepts that are taught in junior high have been brought down into the elementary level. Science teachers are saying there's no real look at literacy and numeracy within the four themes that they've identified within science," he said. 

"English language arts teachers are saying it's just way too much to teach in the course of a year, and our teachers who are looking at inclusive education, we're seeing that there's no real ability to differentiate instruction because it's just so content heavy in terms of the way that this curriculum has been laid out."