Letter from the Minister of Education: Happy Holidays

Dear parents,

As the first half of the school year winds down and Christmas approaches, I want to
take a moment to wish you and your families a safe and joyful holiday season. I would
also like to take this opportunity to update you on some exciting new developments in
education.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Alberta’s extraordinary teachers, educational
assistants, school support staff, administrators, and teacher leaders, the 2024-25 school
year has gotten off to a great start.

• We implemented new rules to limit the use of mobile devices in classrooms so
students can focus more on learning and less on social media and texting.

• We introduced more screening for our youngest learners to help teachers identify
students who need additional support in building foundational literacy and
numeracy skills during their critical early years of education.

• We have more career education options for students in junior and senior high
than ever before, with Alberta’s government providing funding for dual credit and
collegiate programs to prepare students to move from the classroom into
rewarding careers.

• Our Kindergarten to Grade 6 students are now learning from updated curriculum
in nearly all subjects, while our new draft Kindergarten to Grade 6 Social Studies
curriculum is being piloted in more than 420 schools.

It is no secret Alberta is growing fast, so we are tackling rising enrolment head-on by
building new and modernized schools. Our generational investment of $8.6 billion will
build up to 90 new schools, modernize or replace another 24 of them, and roll out more
modular classrooms to create more than 200,000 new and modernized student spaces
within the next seven years. Our efforts to build new and modernize schools will expand
school choice for students and parents by offering a variety of public, separate,
francophone, charter, and independent school options.

Alberta’s government recognizes the vital role of parents in children’s education. You
know best what your children need to be happy, fulfilled, and successful. That is why we
took steps during the fall legislative session to strengthen communication between
schools and parents and reaffirm their involvement in important decisions affecting their
children.

It has been a productive and rewarding start to the school year, and we are looking
forward to more good things to come. From my family to yours, and on behalf of all staff
in the department of education, merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Sincerely,
Demetrios Nicolaides ECA PhD
Minister of Education, Alberta