‘Defend public education’: Albertans pack Legislative grounds for rally

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Chants of “stand up for public education” echoed around the grounds of the Alberta Legislative Assembly Saturday afternoon as crowds rallied for a better system.

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The rally took place on the steps of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, where demands for funding, smaller class sizes and a “future-looking” curriculum were launched. Albertans from Calgary and southern Alberta drove through the snow to attend Saturday’s rally, while northern Alberta and local teachers and parents also showed their support.

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Among the countless signs stressing the importance of public education and the red “defend public education” scarves floating in the sky were Kris and Karen Fedun, both Edmonton Public School teachers and parents of two girls aged 14 and 16.

Kris said it was important that his family was present at the rally.

« The main message for me is that regardless of which political party is in power, education needs to be front and center because of the impact it has on our community, » he said.

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« At the moment we are dealing with a lot of large class sizes, students who don’t get support, we have students who come from abroad who don’t speak the language and we don’t even have a AE to support this student who remains seated in our classroom and who unfortunately has to struggle.

Karen said any government in power must put Alberta’s education system first.

“If our dollars go to our public funding, we have more resources to give to our students,” she said.

Kris added that her daughters also attended the rally to see their parents « lead by example ».

« We wanted them to see that it’s not just us talking in our house, just because we’re teachers, and that education is important to all Albertans, » he said, adding that her daughters understood the value of education and wanted to support .

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Wendy Palk came from Edson for Saturday’s rally. She hoisted a sign that read: “My grandchildren deserve better.

Palk said she was upset with the current government’s study plans and worried about her grandson, who is currently in kindergarten. She said many Albertans have expressed concern about the program, but have not been heard.

« Never give up, » she said. “I don’t know if Danielle Smith will listen, but look at the people here, it’s amazing. It is only a small number of people in the province who believe in public education and who are ignored by this government.

The rally was co-sponsored by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the Alberta School Councils’ Association (ASCA).

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Jason Schilling, President of the ATA, ended the gathering with a list of public education needs.

“We want to see smaller class sizes so that our students have the best opportunity to learn from their teachers. We want a modern, diverse and forward-thinking curriculum… We want a curriculum that includes all students and their realities and that all students can truly see themselves and their families,” Schilling said.

“We want a comprehensive school plan that meets the complex needs of our students, especially after these difficult past years. And we want funding that fully and completely meets the needs of our students, especially our students with special needs. »

Schilling hopes to maintain the rally’s momentum leading up to the 2023 provincial election. He added that local ATA, ASCA and ATA chapters across Alberta will be hosting community conversations over the next few months. months when supporters of public education are invited to share ideas.

ktaniguchi@postmedia.com

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