The government of Alberta is soliciting the view of Albertans on the draft K-6 Social Studies curriculum, as well of the draft Social Studies Subject Overview for K-12. The feedback form is open until March 29, 2024. 

The history of people with disabilities has never been taught in the Alberta curriculum. Albertans should learn the history of how thousands of people with disabilities were forcibly institutionalized and subjected to eugenic sterilization. In 1928, Alberta became the first Canadian province pass a law enabling sexual sterilization and this large-scale practice did not end until 1972 when the law was repealed. It wasn’t until 1980 that children with disabilities were guaranteed a right to an education in Alberta.  

Social Studies should not only teach these facts, but also tell the stories of people with disabilities and their families, and the progress they’ve achieved in advocating for inclusion in society.  

This survey is an opportunity for you to communicate your own personal views on what the Social Studies K-6 Curriculum and K-12 Subject Overview.  Below we offer suggestions on how your survey responses can express that a top priority is teaching the history of exclusion, and the current efforts to combat ableism and advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. In our view, this subject matter best fits with the Social Studies Subject Overview for Grade 9 when Social Studies will teach on suffrage, Japanese internment, the Sixties Scoop, and residential schools.  

Q: “Do you want to provide feedback on the proposed grades 7-9 content in the draft K-12 Social Studies Subject Overview?

Answer: “Yes” 

Q: “What changes do you recommend for the proposed grades 7-9 content?” 

Answer: The curriculum update should consult people with disabilities and their families on the design and content of curriculum and ensure that the curriculum advances the rights and value of persons with disabilities and the ongoing impacts of ableism in society. Over 20% of the population identifies as having disabilities. Albertans need to learn about the eugenics, institutionalization, stereotyping and discriminatory segregation of people with disabilities, and the history of advocacy for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. This could be taught in Grade 9 alongside suffrage, Japanese internment, the Sixties Scoop, residential schools, and the Canadian Charter of Human Rights.   

Thank you for taking the time to consider our perspective and to complete Alberta Education’s Social Studies survey. 

The survey can be found here and is open until March 29th.