New guidelines requiring school jurisdictions to notify parents of sexual or religious course content won't bring much change or disruption when they take effect in September, say local education administrators.
Alberta Education published its updated Guide to Education last week. The document reflects changes to Alberta's human rights legislation with the passing of the controversial Bill 44. Come September, school boards must give parents advance notice of any instruction that relates primarily and explicitly to religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation and to permit parents to exclude their children from such instruction.
The guidelines allow faith-based organizations to provide a clear notice on their registration forms that an element of religion permeates the education experience in its schools.
"The only change is that we're reminding parents that are coming into our system what it really is all about," said David Keohane, superintendent for Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools.
Taking religion is compulsory for K to 11 students in the division's St. Albert schools and the division has no intention of changing, Keohane said. Parents generally send their children to the Catholic system because they want them to be exposed to religious instruction, he said.
"We're not going to make a wholesale change for the sake of perhaps one or two people who may see this legislative change and see it as some kind of opportunity," he said.
The Catholic division is the public system and operates the only schools in Morinville and Legal. Religion isn't a required course in these schools, which emphasize inclusiveness and social justice, Keohane said.
By signing the registration form of a Catholic system, parents agree to the conditions in its schools, said Alberta Education spokesman Terence Harding.
Not much change
Alberta Education has added several classes to the list of courses that require prior notification: Aboriginal Studies 10, Career and Life Management (CALM), Health for Grades 4, 5, and 6, Health and Life Skills for Grades 7, 8, and 9, Religious Ethics 20, Religious Meanings 20 and World Religions 30.
It's a bit strange to be in a position of notifying parents that courses with religion in their title contain explicitly religious content, noted Gerry Schick, chief deputy superintendent of Sturgeon School Division.
"It just seems odd but I don't think it's going to cause us any difficulties," Schick said.
The guidelines generally reinforce current practice," said Protestant district superintendent Barry Wowk.
"I don't know that it's going to be that big of a deal," he said. "We always told the parents that those courses included some explicit discussions of human sexuality and if they wanted to withdraw their children they could."
The guide states that parents with a complaint should first seek a resolution directly with the teacher. If the issue isn't resolved to the parent's satisfaction, they should speak to the principal then finally the school board. ATA president Carol Henderson likes the roadmap but worries it has "no teeth."
"That only works if the parents follow the procedure," she said. "They could still go directly to the human rights commission and lodge the complaint."
Teachers have argued since the inception of Bill 44 that its measures would expose them to human rights complaints.
