Letter from the Minister of Education

September 5, 2024

Back to School Letter from the Minister of Education - PDF

August 28, 2024

The Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides issued the following statement on back to school:

Notebooks open, pencils up, school is back - website article

“As kindergarten to Grade 12 students begin to head back to school after the summer break, I want to wish all students, teachers and school support staff the very best for the year ahead. I also want to give special acknowledgment to those affected by the Jasper wildfires, returning to school under these circumstances this year – we are all with you, and we wish you the very best.

"Education is the foundation of our province’s prosperity, and we remain as focused as ever on providing Alberta’s youth with a truly world-class education.

"As we start this new school year, I am incredibly proud of our continued collaboration with education partners and all the exciting things we are doing together to support student success in the classroom and beyond.

"This year, more than 1,700 teachers will be piloting the new kindergarten to Grade 6 social studies curriculum, helping equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills they need to thrive in our fast-paced world.

"We’re also enhancing literacy and numeracy screening to ensure our youngest students have every opportunity to build solid foundations in reading, writing and numeracy, and to make sure those who need a helping hand can get it in the earliest years of their education.

"We have more choice than ever in our school system, with a wider selection of charter, separate, independent, francophone and public schools, and more dual credit and collegiate programming offering students opportunities to explore a full range of captivating career choices. With these diverse educational pathways, I am confident students will discover their passions and find pathways to help them achieve their goals.

"Positive mental health is fundamental to students’ success, which is why we are extending the school mental health pilot program to ensure they continue to have access to in-school mental health supports. We’re also making sure students can focus on learning rather than texts and social alerts by limiting the use of personal mobile devices and social media in the classroom.

"We recently announced an additional $215 million so school authorities can put more money into the classroom by hiring more teachers and educational staff and adding more student spaces in Alberta’s fastest-growing communities.

"This all builds on the record $9.3 billion we are investing in education this year, and it is all made possible by the dedicated teachers, teacher leaders, support staff, parents and guardians who show up every day to help students receive the world-class education they deserve.

"With our record investments in education, continued collaboration with education partners and Alberta’s talented and hardworking students, I am confident we have all the ingredients for another amazing school year.

"I wish all new and returning students a school year filled with fun, friends, laughter, learning and discovery, and I extend my sincere thanks to all teachers, teacher leaders, support staff, parents and caregivers for your dedication to supporting the learning, success and well-being of Alberta’s children."

_________________________________

June 20, 2023

New rules balance student well-being and learning - PDF

Dear parents:

On June 17, Alberta’s government introduced new restrictions on the use of cellphones and access to social media in schools. Beginning this fall, we will no longer permit the use of personal mobile devices in classrooms, or access to social media sites on school networks. In recent months and years, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia have all done the same.

Alberta’s new standards were developed following months of consultation with those most impacted, including students, parents, and teachers. The feedback was clear: more than 90 per cent of 68,000 survey respondents said they are concerned about cellphone use in schools.

In addition to our stakeholder engagement, my department reviewed recent research and statistics regarding the impact of mobile devices and social media use in classrooms and found reports of increased distraction, instances of inappropriate usage, negative impacts on learning and mental health, and an increase in cyberbullying.

According to the 2023 UNESCO report on Technology in Education it can take up to 20 minutes for a student to refocus on learning after checking their phone, which in turn impacts recall and comprehension.

A 2023 Statistics Canada report found that one in every four Canadian teens has experienced cyberbullying, ranging from online or text message threats, to hurtful information posted about them online, to being excluded from virtual communities. Another Statistics Canada study reported mental wellness rates dropped from 77.9 per cent in 2015 to 62.3 per cent in 2021 in young Canadians between 12 and 17.

The new restrictions announced June 17 will answer the call for a standard approach to how schools navigate these policies in Alberta, while still affording those authorities the autonomy and flexibility needed to implement policies that best meet the needs of their students and communities.

While schools must make exceptions for health or medical reasons, or learning needs, these restrictions are decisive and clear. This fall, students will return to class, but their devices will not. By doing this, we’re prioritizing learning and protecting student mental health.

Your school authority will communicate the specific details of their personal mobile device and social media policy in the coming months. This will include information on whether access to personal mobile devices is being limited during class or whether the school will be going further and not allowing them to be used during the school day. School authority policies will also outline where and how mobile devices will be stored during class time, how to apply for an exemption if your child has health or medical needs that require the use of a mobile device during class time, and the consequences for violations of the policy.

If you have specific questions regarding your school’s specific policy, please contact your school authority, as they will be best positioned to speak to how these restrictions will be implemented at the local level.

As a parent, I am happy to know that when kids head back to the classroom this fall, their devices won’t be with them. Students should be fully focused on learning and developing healthy social skills away from screens.

I’m proud of the world-class education system we’ve built in Alberta. I trust these changes will only make that system stronger by minimizing distractions and protecting our children’s mental health and well-being.

Best,

Demetrios Nicolaides ECA PhD
Minister of Education