Overview
- The UCP government’s Bill 25, introduced Tuesday, would require instruction to be neutral and balanced and directs teachers to support students expressing diverse viewpoints.
- The bill restricts school boards from issuing political or social statements unrelated to education and gives the minister approval power over school names, superintendent contracts, strategic priorities, and the use or transfer of underused properties.
- Schools would be limited to displaying only the Canadian and Alberta flags with narrow exemptions and would have to play the national anthem at least once a week.
- Provincial exams would move online to save money and speed delivery, and materials used for religious instruction would be exempt from a 2024 rule that requires approval for third‑party resources on gender and sexuality.
- The Alberta Teachers’ Association and civil‑liberties advocates called the neutrality mandate vague and chilling, while officials said no new penalties are created and many rules will be set by regulation before the next school year.