Demetrios Nicolaides: Alberta investing in education to meet booming enrolment
Article content
Yet in a recent op-ed, ATA president Jason Schilling says he believes Alberta's government is 'playing politics with education rather than focusing on what matters.' I strongly disagree with that characterization, as I believe our investments into Alberta's education system present a much different reality.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Many of the challenges our education system is facing today stem directly from the dramatic increase of people who moved to Alberta in recent years. In 2020-21, Alberta had roughly 735,000 students, and some school boards were even looking at closing schools due to lack of enrolment. As of today, there are nearly 826,000 students and counting.
Article content
Article content
Our solutions: $8.6 billion to build and renovate more than 130 schools, creating 200,000 more student spaces. Thirty-three of those school construction projects have been sped up through our new innovative funding model. This is on top of the millions we have invested to build prefabricated classrooms to address the need for more classroom space now. I find it hard to characterize these investments as a 'failure to fund public education for growth,' as Mr. Schilling put it.
I have heard loud and clear that something needs to be done to ensure the growing needs of students are met in classrooms, such as tailored programing for students with increased learning needs or supports for students that are learning English as a second language. My response: an historic $9.9 billion for Alberta's education system. This generational investment includes $1.6 billion for schools to address increasingly complex classrooms and will help ensure each student is supported as they engage with Alberta's world-class education system.
Article content
Article content
Alberta's government is making significant investments in education to support student success. We're expanding school spaces and addressing the complex learning needs of students. To reduce distractions, we've banned cellphones in classrooms. We're also responding to the concerns of parents and protecting young students by ensuring they aren't exposed to inappropriate sexual content in school libraries.
Article content
Our updated funding model ensures school boards receive the resources they need, and we're refocusing the curriculum on essential skills like reading, writing, and financial literacy. But rather than just talk about it — let's have the results speak for themselves
Article content
In a recent Programme for International Student Assessment report, Alberta's students excelled in all areas of testing in math, reading, science and creative thinking. In Canada, Alberta ranked first in reading and science, and second in math. Internationally, Alberta ranked second in reading and science, and seventh in math. In financial literacy, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada and internationally. In creative thinking, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada. Internationally, Canada was only outperformed by Singapore.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Montreal Gazette
12 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Hanes: Report conflates political tensions with religious conflict at CEGEPs
When Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry dispatched investigators to Dawson and Vanier colleges last December, her stated aim was to ensure the 'physical and psychological well-being of students' was being respected on those campuses amid strife over the Israel-Hamas war. Nearly seven months later, that probe found a 'deteriorating' and 'toxic climate' caused in part by militant student groups and politicized course content. But it also seems to have turned into a fishing expedition, dredging up all kinds of flotsam and jetsam that may well have caught the government's eye, but strays from the original purpose. The ministry report also blames prayer rooms and religious accommodations for contributing to 'radicalization and proselytism' that 'accentuate tensions' at the two English colleges, though it offers scant evidence and few examples to back these claims. The recommendation that Quebec's secularism laws be reinforced at CEGEPs is a red herring that will do little to ease the very real strains roiling academic institutions. It conflates political polarization with religious friction. And it conveniently provides new fodder for the Coalition Avenir Québec government's desire to expand secularism legislation, further restricting minority rights. There is no doubt that the animosity on Quebec college and university campuses is a serious matter that deserves to be addressed. Since the terror group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the relentless bombardment of Gaza, many academic institutions have struggled to uphold the rights to protest and of free expression while ensuring students and staff of all backgrounds feel secure. Whether it's here in Montreal, where pro-Palestinian protesters took over the front lawn of McGill University for much of last summer, or demonstrations on campuses across North America, there are no easy answers for keeping the peace. The ministry report acknowledges these challenges. In 71 pages, it examines various policies and protocols in place at Dawson and Vanier to respond to complaints that have arisen on campus due to the war in Gaza. And it doesn't find fault with how the administrations handled these complex and tricky situations. When the Hillel Club at Vanier was vandalized on Christmas night of last year, for instance, the administration sprang into action over the Christmas holidays to alert affected students, boost security and organize mental health supports. When Dawson students voted to strike in solidarity with Palestinians last November, the administration acted on a parental complaint about a professor who was alleged to have encouraged his students to take part. The decision to close the college for the day was a last resort after weighing the risks of tensions spiralling out of control. The report doesn't suggest what Vanier or Dawson could have done better or differently under the circumstances. Nevertheless, Déry lamented a 'series of failures that have profoundly undermined the climate at both colleges' in a statement accompanying the report. There were already calls for Déry to resign for ordering a politically motivated witch hunt seen as an attack on academic freedom. The bulk of the recommendations stemming from the investigation venture into touchy territory. They include limiting academic independence because of questions about the validity of a Palestinian literature class and cracking down on student groups that have become politicized. This would require reopening collective agreements and overhauling governance structures because the CEGEPs are constrained by current rules. But such draconian measures could have unintended repercussions on other aspects of college life. Where the report really veers off course, however, is in its focus on secularism. The probe examined with a fine-tooth comb the policies at both Dawson and Vanier for accommodating students when exams or course work conflict with religious holidays not recognized by the school calendar. After spelling them out, it notes simply: 'the two institutions have not received any official complaints on accommodation requests for absences during religious festivals.' What this has to do with angst over the war in Gaza is unclear. The report delves deeper into the history of prayer spaces at both colleges. It notes that there has been a room at Dawson used exclusively by Muslim students for 15 years. When the CEGEP needed to reclaim the area in 2024, it was moved to a temporary location that will likely become its new home. Meanwhile, Jewish students asked for a space of their own in the fall of 2024. 'At this time, a room is under renovation to respect Jewish religious obligations,' the report states. Since the early 2000s, Muslim students have had a prayer room at Vanier with 'a sink for ablutions as well as a separating curtain so women and men don't pray together.' In 2013, there was some talk of converting it to a multi-faith room, but because Muslim students were considered to have an acquired right to the space, no changes have been made. 'How can a prayer room be considered an acquired right in a college that must respect Articles 2 and 3 of the Law on the Secularism of the State, which stipulates that secularism must be respected in fact and in appearance in all government institutions?' the investigators wonder. It is worth noting that CEGEP Garneau and CEGEP Ste-Foy also have temporary or permanent prayer rooms, because colleges are not covered by all the dispositions of Bill 21, Quebec's secularism law. Although the probe didn't spell out how the presence of such facilities at Vanier and Dawson contributed to the anguish over the war in Gaza, it definitely doesn't view them in a favourable light. 'Certain institutions have tried to take steps to promote living together, even if they are contending with a significant lack of space. But far from contributing to better coexistence, this only feeds the climate of radicalization, community withdrawal and mutual distrust within the CEGEP,' the investigation notes. 'Dawson and Vanier are themselves contending with a significant lack of space. … The allocation of a room to one religious group is considered a privilege that can be seen as proselytism and discriminatory towards other religious groups. It is also worth asking questions about the pertinence of prayer rooms in a secular society, especially in the current sociopolitical context.' So is this about space? Is it about tensions on campus? Or is it more about Quebec's secular dogma? Neutrality of the state is an important principle of a modern, Western democracy. Quebecers' aversion to religion is understandable given the long shadow the Catholic Church has cast over the province's history. But this Quebec government has taken secularism to a whole new level with Bill 21, the law forbidding civil servants in positions of authority from wearing religious garb on duty, trampling constitutional and minority rights in the process. The CAQ has made no secret of its desire to go further, introducing Bill 94 to extend dress code provisions to public schools. It has appointed an expert committee to leave no stone unturned in uncovering the influence of religion in other public institutions, including CEGEPs, to pave the way for stricter laws. Putting Dawson and Vanier under the microscope over secularism certainly provides fresh grounds. But it's not useful or helpful to cast strife over the Israel-Hamas war as a purely religious conflict. Yes, Israel is the Jewish state and the Jewish community as a whole has been stigmatized, isolated and even physically attacked as antisemitism surges. True, Palestinians are overwhelmingly Muslim and Islamophobia is also on the rise. But many of those protesting against Israel belong to neither of these faiths. Some Christians, atheists, and even Jews are also opposed to the war in Gaza. This is a sociopolitical movement. The progressive left has been especially active in calling for a ceasefire, pushing for a Palestinian state and delegitimizing Israel. Ignoring the multiple dimensions of these fault lines will not bridge growing divisions on Quebec campuses.
Winnipeg Free Press
17 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mexico's president calls march against mass tourism ‘xenophobic.' Critics blame government failures
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A fierce protest in Mexico City railing against gentrification and mass tourism was fueled by government failures and active promotion to attract digital nomads, according to experts, who said tension had been mounting for years. The criticism comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum alleged that Friday's protest was marked by xenophobia, reviving a debate over an influx of Americans in the city. Many Mexicans say they've been priced out of their neighborhoods — in part because of a move made by Sheinbaum in 2022, when she was the Mexico City mayor and signed an agreement with Airbnb and UNESCO to boost tourism and attract digital nomads despite concern over the impact short-term rentals could have. 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' On Friday, that came to a head. A largely peaceful protest of hundreds of demonstrators marched through tourism centers of the city with signs reading 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' and 'Housing regulations now!' Near the end of the march, a group of protesters turned violent, breaking the windows of storefronts and looting a number of businesses. In one case, a protester slammed a butter knife against the window of a restaurant where people were hiding, and another person painted 'kill a gringo' on a nearby wall. 'The xenophobic displays seen at that protest have to be condemned. No one should be able to say 'any nationality get out of our country' even over a legitimate problem like gentrification,' Sheinbaum said Monday. 'We've always been open, fraternal.' The frustrations were built upon years of mass tourism and rising rent prices in large swathes of the city. The influx of foreigners began around 2020, when Americans flooded into the Mexico City to work remotely, dodge coronavirus restrictions and take advantage of cheaper living costs. In the years since, choice neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa, lush central areas dotted with cafes and markets, have grown increasingly populated by foreign tourists and the remote workers known as digital nomads, and there are more temporary housing units rented through companies like Airbnb that cater to tourists. As they have, rent and living prices have soared and English has been increasingly common on the streets of those areas. Some groups have described the phenomenon as a sort of 'neo-colonialism.' Mounting tensions The Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Front, one of the organizations behind the protest, it was 'completely against' any acts of physical violence and denied that the protests were xenophobic. Instead, the organization said the protest was a result of years of failures by the local government to address the root of the problems. 'Gentrification isn't just foreigners' fault, it's the fault of the government and these companies that prioritize the money foreigners bring,' the organization said in a statement. Meanwhile 'young people and the working class can't afford to live here.' In its list of demands, the organization called for greater rent controls, mandates that locals have a voice in larger development projects in their area, stricter laws making it harder for landlords to throw out residents and prioritizing Mexican renters over foreigners. Mexico's protest comes on the back of a wave of similar protests across Europe railing against mass tourism. Tensions in Mexico have also been compounded by wider inequalities and the Trump administration targeting Latino communities in the U.S. as it ramps up deportations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security took a jab at protesters Sunday, writing in a post on the social media platform X: 'If you are in the United States illegally and wish to join the next protest in Mexico City, use the CBP Home app to facilitate your departure.' Government failures Protesters' cries against government failures were echoed by experts, who said that surging gentrification is a product of both shortage of affordable housing in the city and longtime government failures to regulate the housing market. Antonio Azuela, lawyer and sociologist and others said that they do see the protest as a xenophobic backlash, and around 2020 the core of the problem was the influx of 'digital nomads' in the city, but it grew out of hand because of lax housing laws. 'What has made this explode is lack of regulation in the market,' Azuela said. Mexico City's government over the course of decades has made a few efforts to control development and create affordable housing. Legislators estimated there are about 2.7 million houses and apartments in the city, but it needs about 800,000 more. But such affordable housing developments that have popped up often are pushed off to the fringes of the city, said Luis Salinas, a researcher at National Autonomous University of Mexico who has studied gentrification in Mexico City for years. Taking advantage of 'insufficient' laws Controls, meanwhile, have been marked by lack of enforcement, which developers travel services companies like Airbnb take advantage of, he said. Today, more than 26,000 properties in Mexico City are currently listed on Airbnb, according to the Inside Airbnb, an advocacy organization that tracks the company's impact on residential communities through data. That's compared to 36,000 properties in New York City and 19,000 in Barcelona, where protests have also broken out. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'The government has treated housing like it's merchandise,' Salinas said. The actions the government is taking 'are completely insufficient. The federal government needs to be intervening far more nowadays.' Airbnb said it helped contribute more than a billion dollars in 'economic impact' to Mexico City last year and that spending by guests has supported 46,000 jobs in the city. 'What's needed is regulation based not on prohibitions, but on respect for rights and transparency of obligations,' it said in a statement. Last year, Mexico City's government approved the most ambitious rent control law since the 1940s in an effort to control prices and also set caps on short-term rentals to 180 nights a year, but Salinas said that enforcement of short-term rental legislation has been put on pause until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And even then, the country's government will have to take far greater actions to get the situation under control, said Azuela. 'This isn't going to end by just reigning in Airbnb,' he said. 'They're going to have to do a whole lot more.'
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Give the OQLF a reason to investigate
Maybe it's time to overwhelm the Office québécois de la langue française with a flood of complaints about English signage — call it peaceful bureaucratic resistance. If the agency is going to micromanage every sign, let them chase shadows. And once the absurdity reaches a peak, people should alert international media. Let the world see how language policy can tip into parody. Lois Baron, Montreal Not the time for language complaints Re: ' Spike in service complaints to OQLF ' (The Gazette, July 4) Quebec's medical system cries out from a lack of funds, and now the education system will see much-needed services affected after the government ordered at least $570 million in cuts. Plus, seeing as we eagerly encourage tourists to come boost our economy, we need to be at minimum bilingual. In these circumstances, how can the OQLF be justified? It is time to give Montreal a break and allow it and its population to survive. Sandra Sterling, Snowdon Bilingual signs boost water safety Re: ' There have been five drownings near Verdun beach in last four years ' (The Gazette, June 25) It is alarming that in Quebec, protecting French from a sea of English apparently includes endangering the well-being of English-speaking Montrealers and tourists. After two tragic drowning deaths recently at Verdun beach, the local TV news showed several apparently French-only signs at beaches along with Raynald Hawkins, the Lifesaving Society's executive director for Quebec, declaring that all beach visitors should follow water safety instructions. Along with French-only provincial road signs, one wonders if unilingual safety signs may have had a part in some deaths and injuries over the years. George McArthur, Montreal Other options for Alzheimer's patients Re: ' Canada is falling behind on treatments for Alzheimer's disease ' (Opinion, June 26) Hope is a dangerous thing, and although we should welcome treatments for insidious and devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, we shouldn't let enthusiasm cloud our judgment. The scores we should be looking at for these new drugs — clinical improvements in cognitive scores — have barely shown more significance than placebo, and we still don't know how long the benefits persist. Not to mention high dropout rates in trials due in part to side effects such as brain swelling. Factor in the price of over $20,000 per year, and there are other interventions that are more cost efficient for patients in our publicly funded health-care system. Aylon Wisbaum, pharmacist, Côte-St-Luc Respect from U.S. in the cards Re: ' Canadian mistrust of the U.S. remains high, new poll finds ' (NP Montreal, July 3) I play online bridge against players from all over the world. You get to play two deals against new opponents, who then move on to other opponents. When they arrive, I always chat: 'Hello from Montreal, bonne chance.' I've been amazed at how many Americans reply: 'We love you, I didn't vote for him, ' or words to that effect. Gary Bernstein, N.D.G. Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
