The Alberta government has announced the creation of a class size and complexity cabinet committee to help address concerns about the province’s school system.
Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Friday, standing alongside Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.
Both of them will be on the committee along with the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, the Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services and the Minister of Child and Family Services.
A number of officials from various school boards around the province and the Alberta Teachers Association will also be included on the 11-person task force.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Alberta’s UCP government forced teachers to return to work following a three-week-long strike that was prompted by teachers’ concerns about classroom conditions and the growing number of students in the province.
“We’re here to listen and we’re here to work with you to chart a new path forward. And we’re here to take action,” said Smith.
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“This is not just another working group or panel. This is a committee ready to make decisions and implement change immediately — immediately and with urgency.”
“This committee will not spend months just to provide recommendations,” said Alberta’s Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides.
“The time for recommendations has passed and the time for actions is now. More specifically, the committee will work to set rules for tracking and reporting class size and classroom makeup, invest 300 million over the next three years that will include hiring 1,500 EAs (and) hire 3,000 teachers where they are needed the most.”
The number of new teachers needed has been one of the biggest areas of dispute between teachers and the government, with the ATA saying 5,000 more teachers are needed in the province to meet recommended student-teacher ratios.
Alberta’s official Opposition NDP reacted to the government’s announcement, calling it a “distraction from action committee” and said the UCP government had the opportunity to take action back in 2023, when the NDP tabled a bill in the legislature about classroom size and complexity, but the government MLAs voted it down.
The president of the ATA, Jason Schilling, called the government announcement a step in the right direction, but said teachers will hold the government accountable.
“We will not settle for nice words and empty recommendations. Teachers and parents expect real change, not another report collecting dust,” said Schilling.
“‘Will the government deliver on its word?’ Time will tell,” added Schilling. “But make no mistake. We will be there every step of the way.”
Starting this month, the government said, it will be working with school boards to collect data on class sizes and classroom composition that will be used to help direct school resources.
Starting in January, the government said it will also start making that data available to the public.
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