Dear parents,

As the summer winds down and a new school year begins, I want to take a moment to
share updates you may hear more about as your child returns to the classroom.

As Alberta’s Minister of Education, my mandate is to ensure our students are receiving a
world-class education that sets them up for success. An important piece of this work is
building an inclusive and comprehensive curriculum that reflects our modern world and
inspires a passion for learning.

Since the 2022-23 school year, school authorities have implemented new curriculum in six
Kindergarten to Grade 6 (K-6) subjects through a phased approach. This school year, all
students in Grades 4-6 will be learning from new French first language and literature,
French immersion language arts and literature and science curriculums. We continue to
support school authorities and elementary teachers as they implement new curriculum by
providing a variety of learning and teaching resources.

I am pleased to share that 62 school authorities have also chosen to pilot new draft K-6
social studies curriculum in classrooms across Alberta this school year. The new draft
curriculum, which was developed after nine months of consultation with education partners,
teachers, parents and Albertans, focuses on building students’ critical thinking skills and
empowers them to be engaged citizens. Throughout the piloting process, school authorities
and teachers will provide valuable feedback to help Alberta Education finalize the new K-6
social studies curriculum.

This is just one change parents can expect in Alberta’s schools this fall. When students
return to class, their smart phones will not. In April 2024, we asked Albertans to tell us what
they thought of cellphone use in schools. More than 68,000 educators, parents, and other
stakeholders shared their thoughts. The feedback was clear: Almost 90 per cent of
respondents were concerned about student cellphone use at school and 85 per cent said
they believe cellphones have a negative impact on student achievement.

My government felt it was important to respond quickly to this feedback and has been
working with educators and other stakeholders over the last several months to introduce
restrictions on personal mobile devices and social media use in schools. 

These changes come into effect on September 1, with school authorities having until
January 1, 2025, to formalize their policies and procedures for implementing the restrictions
within their schools. This means that, beginning immediately, students are asked to keep
their devices silent or powered off during class and stored out of view, unless a valid
exception is in place. Parents and guardians should reach out to their school or school
authority if they have questions regarding how restrictions will apply to a particular student
or child.

Restricting personal mobile devices and social media use in Alberta Early Childhood
Services and kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms will reduce distractions, maximize
learning time, support student mental health, and reduce opportunities for
cyberbullying. This is one of many things we are doing to support our children’s mental
health.

I recently announced an additional $6.7 million to extend 59 Mental Health in Schools pilot
projects across the province to ensure students can get the supports they need, when they
need them. This is in addition to the Budget 2024 investment of $1.5 billion for learning
support funding, which includes funding that allows school authorities to provide students
with psychological and social-emotional supports, and access to mental health workers and
other wellness supports, as needed.

As you know, Alberta’s population is growing, and school enrolment is too. Our government
recognizes this growth comes with challenges, which is why we made a funding
commitment over the summer to invest an additional $125 million for operational costs
associated with enrolment growth and inflationary pressures.

And, we have invested $2.8 billion over three years to maintain, enhance, plan, and build
new schools. Our capital plan advances 43 priority school projects across Alberta, including
28 new schools, 10 replacement schools, and five modernizations, which will create 35,000
new and modernized student spaces! We recognize these advancements will not be
realized immediately and space is needed now, which is why we are also putting $90 million
toward the purchase of up to 100 modular classrooms and the relocation of up to 50 more,
for the communities of greatest need. This will help address emergent enrolment pressures
and urgent space needs.

In closing, I want to thank and acknowledge our hardworking teachers, educational
assistants, principals, and other school support staff. Their work is at the heart of Alberta’s
education system and is deeply acknowledged and appreciated by Alberta’s government.
Finally, I want to thank you, Alberta’s parents. As a father myself, I know that a child’s
education does not start and end in the classroom. Parents are busy behind the scenes
packing lunches and schoolbags, helping with homework, and cheering our kids on at their
school concerts and sporting events. Thank you for all you do to support your children, their
teachers, and the larger school community to which you belong. 

I am wishing you a wonderful year ahead!

Best,
Demetrios Nicolaides ECA PhD
Minister of Education