Alberta school curriculum overhaul timeline too fast, teachers' union head says

The province's timeline to overhaul the Alberta school curriculum is too fast, according to the head of a local teachers union.

Education Minister David Eggen announcedthe six-year, six-subject overhaul on Wednesday.

The $64-million project will see the Kindergarten to Grade 4 curriculum complete by 2018, the middle grades done by late 2019, and the high school changes in place by 2022.

But FrankBruseker, president of the Calgary Public Teachers Local No. 38,says it would be smarter to slow down and focus on one subject at a time, starting with the most problematic and outdated subjects first.

"Each of these is basically looking at a two-year time span. And quite frankly, I don't think that's sufficient time if you're going to revamp a curriculum to write it, to field test it, and then to bring a finished product out," he said.

Some of the subjects have not seen major curriculum changes for three decades.

Meanwhile, some parents are concerned the government's plan to revamp the province's curriculum doesn't go far enough.

"Math is critical right now. It's in a very, very scary state," said Althea Adams with the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils.

"It needs to be addressed right away, right across the board. We have parents that are being forced to pay for tutoring for math to get their kids up to a proper grade level."

Eggen has said he willconsult with parents throughmeetings and online surveys, and that he isopen to rethinking how math is taught.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS|Getting a new job in the 'new' Calgary: Why we should never give up
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS|'It hurts:' Fort Mac evacuees pleading for return of stolen ATVs