If all goes to plan, Calgary’s classrooms are set to become less violent, more inclusive places under new legislation.

Alberta Minister of Education and Childcare, Demetrios Nicolaides, has announced proposed changes to the Education Act, that, if implemented, will begin for the 2026-27 school year.

The newly proposed Bill 25 will support classroom neutrality, help minimize violence in the classroom, increase school board accountability and change provincial exam formats, if passed.

“Bill 25 will work to strengthen rules that will keep schools focused on learning, student safety and respectful behaviour. It will also require school codes of conduct to clearly prohibit violence in schools and in school activities. It will reinforce expectations that classrooms support respectful discussion and foster diverse viewpoints,” Nicolaides said.

“It will also require education programming to be neutral, fair and free from personal bias. It will also prevent school boards from taking public positions on political, social or ideological issues that are unrelated to the delivery of education. At the same time, it will protect school staff from being required to participate in activities that conflict with their personal beliefs.”

The bill will set province-wide standards on flags, the weekly singing of the Canadian national anthem, moving diploma exams and Provincial Achievement tests to an online format and increase oversight of school board trustees and require ministerial approval of Superintendent contracts, according to Nicolaides.

The minister is confident these changes will greatly improve school boards on not only the classroom level, but the district level as well.

“We have to ensure that we continue to focus on reading, writing, math, career development and critical thinking development and so by working in partnership with school boards around superintendent contracts and the development of priorities, we will ensure that our system is in full alignment and serving the best needs of students,” he said.

More schools, more names

With recent funding announcements leading to a number of new school projects, Bill 25 will give the Ministry of Education final say in new schools’ names. Nicolaides said individual school districts will still go through rigorous and autonomous naming processes, but government would have final say, if the bill is passed.

“As we move forward on the significant investment of taxpayer dollars to build schools across the province, we want to ensure that the provincial government has a role to play, if desired, when it comes to those final decisions,” he said.

Over the coming weeks, Nicolaides will engage with school boards and refine policy surrounding which flags can be displayed on school grounds.

“One of the amendments that we’re making in the act will create regulation to be developed to provide for more clarity around types of flags, displays or images, so that will be clarified in regulations,” he said.

“I want to take the opportunity over the next few weeks to talk more with our school boards so we can ensure that we develop that regulation in the strongest possible way.”

Specific classroom neutrality regulations coming

Nicolaides said that classroom environments are some of the most diverse environments possible. From a teaching perspective, many different social, religious or political ideas may be taught, but all will be done from a neutral standpoint.

 “What we’re saying in the legislation is that when engaging in these conversations, we need to take steps to ensure that it’s being presented with a balance and that diverse viewpoints are being brought forward, and student thinking is challenged,” he said.

“That’s how we ultimately build critical thinking.”

Teachers already have diverse standards to adhere to under the quality standard teacher code of conduct, according to Nicolaides. New legislation will act as another way to monitor subject matter.

“Unfortunately, there have been some examples that have come to light over the course of the past few years that have raised some concerns,” Nicolaides said, of biased teachers.

“In June 2023, at a junior high school here in Edmonton, a recording was leaked where a teacher was berating a Muslim student for choosing not to attend school on a particular day, and I believe on that particular day, the school had pride activities organized, and the teachers stated, ‘We believe that people can marry whoever they want. This is the law. And if you don’t think that that should be the law, you can’t be Canadian. You don’t belong here. And I mean it.’”

Teachers not consulted: ATA

In a statement released after Nicolaides’ announcement, Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) President Jason Schilling said that ATA leadership was not consulted prior to the bill being tabled.

“Before any regulations are implemented in our schools, the Association needs to be consulted, which it has not been so far. The Association expects to be an engaged partner so that we can bring real-world classroom perspectives to the government’s plans for education,” the statement reads.

“Today’s announcement contributes little to address the concerns teachers and school leaders are facing today. We will monitor the implementation of these amendments to the Education Act but will not allow them to distract from the critical issues still affecting teachers and students.”