Curriculum redisgn lists Oil & Gas companies as key Educational Advisors FOR K-3

I did a search and didn't see anything so I'm sorry if I missed it.

Oil companies key educational advisors

EDMONTON – Today, NDP Education Critic Deron Bilous said he was shocked to learn that Syncrude and Suncor were listed as key partners in developing the new Kindergarten to Grade 3 curriculum.

“Kindergarten to grade three is a very formative time in a child’s education where their minds are still developing. It is outrageous and appalling to have oil and gas companies involved in any way in developing curriculum for Alberta’s youngest students,” Bilous said.

According to Alberta Education documents, several oil and gas companies are given key partnership status in “helping draft Alberta’s future curriculum for our students.”

“Maybe the minister can explain why parents and teachers are being pushed aside to make room for oil and gas companies? I certainly can’t even to begin to rationalize these decisions, or why the minister would undermine the value of our education system,” said Bilous.

“Parents and teachers are confused and angry. A complete redesign of what we are teaching our kids should not be hurried in any way. I encourage the minister to slow this process down and remove any partners that are not experts in childhood education. Somehow, I don’t think that oil and gas companies have the necessary qualifications,” said Bilous.

“For this minister to say he has no issue with these companies being involved in curriculum development for young children is appalling.”

I don't think oil companies should be involved in planning the school curriculum, no matter what grade. Sure the education system could use the money but I don't think we should have to depend on that coming from oil companies & that in return they should get to help plan the school curriculum.

What do you think?

I see this is coming from that tarpit of a wasteland Alberta, home of our exalted demigod erm I mean Prime Minister, Land of the Tea Party North, birthplace of Ted Cruz and last but not least bible belt central. Sorry my Albertan friends but I've been there done that and couldn't get away fast enough. Truly a province of corporatism for which most people can't bend over fast enough. Where the dollar defines your principles and damn everything else.

So am I surprised that BigOil and Evangelic Christian beliefs are corrupting the educational system? No not all! After all it's tax free money right into the pocket of every corrupt oligarch worshipping politician in that soon to be barren no mans land.

reply to post by knoledgeispower


Oh busted. Why do they do this? So even kindergarteners can know that both



and



are names that they can trust.

reply to post by knoledgeispower


I can't believe this post hasn't gotten more attention. A company should have absolutely nothing to do with schooling!! Those parents should all take their kids out of school and start their own or home school. Ridiculous!

What is really appalling is that Coca Cola,Pepsico, and many other corporations are edging in to brand school children with their wares everywhere......Its proven fact that if you start them young you keep em for life brandwise......

reply to post by cheebie23


Well, if it's any consolation, the NSA contributes suggestions for K-12 curriculum here in the US. I'd give you the link for that but alas, I've not been able to load the NSA site for quite a while now. They used to have an academics tab. Not sure if they still do.

There's been corporate involvement within the school system here in the US for a long time. Remember SRA cards? Well Science Research Associates was actually a subsidiary of IBM up until they sold it in 1988. Steve Jobs was also really clever when he decided to donate all those Macs to schools back in the 80's. Is it effective? For some kids, I think so. There was a kid in my youngest's class last year that insisted that the end of the school year classroom party be an Apple product only party. Not kidding.

www.apple.com...

reply to post by stirling


Yea at my high school the electronic scoreboards were given to the school by Cola. They also had a couple vending machines in the school.
It sucked because we were learning about product placement and how corporations target the youth in my sociology class so it was something that I could relate too first hand.

I was born in Alberta but we moved to B.C when my parents split up back in 1995 and I haven't been back since. I don't care if the province isn't that great of a place, no child's education should involve sponsorship/design of a corporation. I know it happens a lot in the states and I guess it is still only a matter of time before it happened here but still DAYUUUMMM!!!

I think when my boyfriend and I have kids, that we will home school our child. Not just because of corporations shoving their noses in everything, but because I also want to be able to tailor my child's education to their learning style.

reply to post by knoledgeispower


This is not surprising. It seems like the next logical move for companies that are used to writing our laws to suit themselves. Control of children's education is prolly high on the wish list of every corporations board of directors. The worst part is the government that allows it for a few shekels.

I have 3 kids and live in Alberta and this reason has got my wife on board with me to home school our kids. I also recommend every Canadian write a letter to as many politicians as they can and not let this pass. As much as I am mad at the people doing this I am even more angry at the total apathy of my fellow Canadians and never have I seen us in such a state of numbness with blinders on full.

This stuff only happens because we let it!

reply to post by WhiteAlice


When I was in K-3, we got Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street and Hong Kong Phooey.

Sure, the school didn't teach us about Mr. Rogers, but I blame the downfall on Barney, we went from neighbors to "one big happy family"..blah, I would prefer neighbors.

VinMan
reply to post by knoledgeispower

 

This is not surprising. It seems like the next logical move for companies that are used to writing our laws to suit themselves. Control of children's education is prolly high on the wish list of every corporations board of directors. The worst part is the government that allows it for a few shekels.

They already do that through the creation of legislation writing lobbies formed from their mutual interests (like ALEC). The control of education is the elephant in the room really. It's quite overt and the rationale behind it is that they are assuring that children have the opportunity to survive or thrive as workers within the economy. Basically career or trade preparation. It goes all the way from K and into higher education, where major companies will basically produce their worker wish list and develop curriculum that they feel teaches that.

As good as that may sound to some, not everybody is going to fall neatly into their laps. People are different and live different lives. It's downplays the cultivation of non-corporate desires such as art and music or even literature or even defunds them.

reply to post by WarminIndy


I don't think it's down to tv shows as to what has been going wrong within the schools though my memory is fairly shot of K-3 beyond recollection of going to a different kind of school. The school I attended in K-1 was really different and included early Spanish immersion. Pretty sure it was a DoD funded school (about 90%), which kind of shows the difference between what they fund and what the public education beggars fund.