EDMONTON — Grant MacEwan University is setting up a scholarship in memory of a key figure in its music program as well as Edmonton’s greater music scene.

Colin Lay directed the Recording Arts program at Grant MacEwan’s Centre for the Arts and Communication for almost 24 years. He was recognized as an award-winning record producer and a sound engineer, including at Edmonton’s Folk Fest.

Lay died on Jan. 16 after struggling with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Carolyn Graber, university adviser for MacEwan’s music program, said this is the first time the Centre for the Arts has ever set up a scholarship in memory of a faculty member.

“We just want to honor Colin in the best way we can and help other up-and-comers,” Graber said.

The Centre for the Arts has reached out to organizations like the Alberta Music Industry Association and the Folk Fest to help raise money for the scholarship, Graber said.

Fundraising will go until May, and students in the Recording Arts major will be allowed to apply for the Colin Lay scholarship next February. Graber said the money raised will determine how many scholarships are offered, and for what amount.

Colin Lay directed Grant MacEwan's Recording Arts major for almost 24 years and was recognized as gifted sound engineer in Edmonton's music community. Photo supplied.

Colin Lay instructed hundreds of students during his tenure at MacEwan. One of his former students, Matthew Parsons, now runs the Recording Arts major himself.

Parsons describes Lay as a hands-on instructor with an old-school sensibility when it came to studio technology.

“He was a no-nonsense kind of character,” Parsons said. “He would say, ‘This is what you need to do. Now do it.’”

The two men also worked together as Parsons mastered Lay’s last record album. Lay, an accomplished musician who had already released two CDs, recorded two albums of new material in the months leading up to his death.

“When he was diagnosed, he really wanted to leave his legacy,” Parsons said. “I’ve never seen anyone work that hard in my entire life.”

Upon working more closely with Lay, Parsons also gained a new perspective on the man, calling him “a shy character,” but warm-hearted.

“I used to be a bit intimidated by him. He seemed somewhat aloof,” Parsons said. “But when I got to know him better, I thought it was more of a front, really.”

Anyone interested in contributing to the Colin Lay scholarship fund is asked to contact Carolyn Graber at (780) 497-4436.

Rauschm5@mymail.macewan.ca

Organizers from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering DiscoverE program set up a CO2 drag race in West Edmonton Mall on March 9, 2012. Photograph by Kjell Wickstrom

EDMONTON — The races are over in a flash, with a puff of compressed gas just dissipating at the start line by the time the cars reach the end of the track less than nine-tenths of a second later.

The cars competing in this race don’t have engines or even brakes (thus the barrier made of pillows). They are carved out of blocks of wood by junior high students from around the city and powered by a small canister of compressed carbon dioxide.

The CO2 drag races are held by a partnership between the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering DiscoverE program and Edmonton’s public and Catholic school divisions. This year’s races were held in West Edmonton Mall on March 9.

Events like the CO2 drag races are just one of the many ways the DiscoverE program tries to make science fun. It is meant to instill an interest and passion for science and technology in all those who participate.

“It shows science at work. It lets people have fun showing their love for making their cars and showing them off,” said Daniel Reyes, a student from Cardinal Leger Junior High. “Making these cars really opened my eyes on how much I love designing and building.”

In the forth-annual race this year eight different schools from around the city took part.

The championship trophy for the fourth annual CO2 drag races, sought by junior high students from across Edmonton. Photograph by Kjell Wickstrom

The races are the culmination of the skills that students learn in their Career and Technology Studies programs.

“The kids are always looking forward to this day,” said Jeff Fennell, a CTS teacher from Steele Heights Junior High School. “It’s a friendly competition.

“It allows their creativity to come out. They work hard at drafting and designing a product, then they get to come out here and see how it does.”

The races have two divisions. A sprint division, where the cars weigh less than 70 grams, and a muscle car division for cars weighing more. There is also a show car competition where students can make cars that may not necessarily be fast but are rather designed to look like real cars or even hamburgers.

The passion that a little competition can bring out is infectious. Passersby in the mall stop to see what all of the commotion is about and end up watching a few races. Younger children frown at their parents as they drag them away from the track to go back to shopping.

This is the goal of these programs: To get young people interested in science, technology, math and engineering, the STEM research fields.

“Our mission is to have youth recognize the importance of science and technology,” said Shelagh Pyper, the Faculty of Engineering’s outreach co-ordinator.

Even if the students don’t end up going into any STEM fields for a career or further education, these programs also try to promote scientific literacy.

It helps students understand the issues related to science and technology topics, said Pyper.  “They’re informed consumers and informed voters, and are empowered with that knowledge to make good choices for their communities.”

The DiscoverE program has put on camps during the summer and workshops throughout the school year that reach up to 21, 000 students since it started in 1993. Students can take part in programs that vary from 3D animation to robotics.(PDF)

Parents and students interested in the camps and workshops can register at the DiscoverE website for spring workshops and summer camps.

The summer camps begin in the second week of July.

wickstromk2@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Talmud Torah School, the longest-operating Jewish day school in Canada, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this May.

Esther Starkman, a former Edmonton Public Schools trustee and Talmud Torah alumni whose children and grandchildren also attended the school, says that the importance of education in the Jewish faith is one of the reasons the school has lasted so long.

“When immigrants, Jewish immigrants, came to this country, they really valued education,” she said. “In our family, there were four children. All four went to Talmud Torah, all four graduated from the U of A.”

Talmud Torah was the first example of the umbrella concept — when privately founded schools are taken in under a school board. In this case, it was Edmonton Public Schools that took it in.

“Talmud Torah was the first,” said Starkman. “And since that time, other schools have adopted the concept in one way or another. Everyone is a little bit different. At the time, when the Talmud Torah went public, the Edmonton Public School Board then funded all but the religious component.”

A celebrated member of the Edmonton Jewish community, with a school named for her in the Terwillegar neighbourhood, Starkman was an important player in the incorporation of Talmud Torah School into the Edmonton Public School system.

The second location of the Talmud Torah School in Glenora. Supplied photo.

“My father, as many immigrants, went through terrible times in eastern Europe,” she said. “They got to this country, and somehow pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. They made their living by their smarts. When they finally got on their feet, to them the most important thing was for their children to become educated.”

History

Opened in 1912 in the basement of 96th Street’s original Beth Israel Synagogue, Talmud Torah was first funded by donations to the Talmud Torah Society. Forty years later, the basement no longer provided sufficient space, and the school was moved to a new Glenora building, which still stands today.

In 1977, Talmud Torah School was incorporated as a part of the Edmonton Public School Board.

In 1995, the school again outgrew its home. Talmud Torah relocated to its current building at 172 Street in 1997 just in time for the start of the school year. There to cut the official ribbon in 1999 was Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister of Israel.

Today’s Talmud Torah School offers the Judaic Studies program, which incorporates written and spoken Hebrew in the classroom. Biblical and modern Jewish history is also focused on — students learn to relate modern life to their theology. It is located at 6320 172 St. in the Callingwood neighbourhood.

The original location of the Talmud Torah School on 96th Street. Supplied photo.

Starkman has fond memories from her days at Talmud Torah — she remembers the bond that she had with her fellow students was unlike any other.

“Every Monday it was macaroni and cheese, Tuesdays it was salmon patties with peas and mashed potatoes,” she said. “It was a wonderful feeling of camaraderie.
I felt I had a strong bond of friendship with the kids I went to school with, and I learned a sense of community with the community I was involved with.”

The Events

“A full weekend of events are planned for May 17 to 20, culminating in a gala dinner on Sunday, May 20, at the Westin which we expect 500 to 700 people to attend,” said Jay Palter, part of the Talmud Torah Society board of directors and TT100 Steering Committee. “Over the course of the weekend’s events we hope to have as many as a thousand people attending.”

The weekend will begin on the Thursday night at the Royal Alberta Museum with a concert featuring Talmud Torah alumnus Robert Dvorkin, who now lives in New York City. On Friday, there will be a welcoming reception at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Saturday will be dedicated to observing Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and visiting with friends.

“Sunday morning, we will be running tours of the old Talmud Torah School in Glenora, where many of the alumni attended school,” said Palter.

Then, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., an open house is planned at the current school that will feature art and performances by some of the students. Sunday evening will be the gala dinner, which is $180 per ticket.

Notable alumni of Talmud Torah School include:
• Valerie Raymond, Canadian ambassador to the Czech Republic
• Lewis Kay, professor of biochemistry at the University of Toronto, and Yale graduate
• Deborah Yedlin, columnist for the Calgary Herald
• Mel Hurtig, author
• Jack Mintz, former CEO and president of the C.D. Howe Institute
• Daryl Katz, owner of the Edmonton Oilers

If you attended Talmud Torah School and want to attend the 100th anniversary celebrations, go to http://tt100.ca/register-now. Donations are also accepted if you are unable to attend.

wilsonyorka@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — St. Mark’s Junior High School is remaining open, and the community is hoping that this decision will help revitalize the neighbourhood.

Laura Shewchuk (right) with her daughter (centre) and a friend (left) at the Edmonton Catholic Schools meeting after a motion to close St. Mark's was defeated. On Feb. 14, 2012, Edmonton Catholic Schools voted to keep St. Mark's open. The school had been in a state of uncertainty for two years. The community hopes this vote will eliminate that uncertainty and help bring young families to the neighbourhood. Photograph by Kjell Wickstrom.

On Feb. 14, the Edmonton Catholic school board voted in a 4-3 decision to keep St. Mark’s school at 11625 135 St. open. The Woodcroft Community League is hoping that this decision will remove some uncertainty that the maturing neighbourhood was dealing with.

“It’s been a frustration for us,” Woodcroft Community League vice-president Linda Thiessen said about the possibility of closure. “We’re really happy with the result.”

Woodcroft is a mature neighbourhood with about 45 per cent of its population over the age of 50 according to the 2006 census. By comparison, a newer community like Terwillegar has only has about 18 per cent of its population over 50. Census data from 2011 will be released in May.

The community league is working to sustain and revitalize their community, and school closures can hurt those goals.

“The closure of any school in a community has a negative impact,” said Thiessen.

The possibility alone of St. Mark’s closing was causing uncertainty.

“It’s very difficult when you have this potential closure hanging over your head because parents don’t know if the school is going to be there from one year to the next,” said Thiessen.

“Knowing that the school is going to be there for a while can only represent a good thing.”

Access to schools is key to the preservation of older communities, as identified by Mayor Stephen Mandel’s sustainability task force, which made its report public on Feb. 2.

Availability of schools is something that can draw young families to the community. Community members have worked hard gathering support to keep the school open, and believe their community is a viable and good place to raise a family.

The public school board closed Woodcroft Elementary in 2008. Losing another school could have really hurt the community’s efforts to attract new families.

“We know our neighbourhood is bouncing back,” said Laura Shewchuk, a parent who helped organize support for St. Mark’s.

Uncertainty surrounding the school’s future has kept it and the community in limbo for two years.  The first vote to close St. Mark’s was defeated in February of 2010.

The school board chose to explore alternatives to closing the school.  It introduced special programs and other initiatives like a science academy to try and bring in more students.

According to statistics presented at the meeting on Feb. 14, the school still only had 77 regular program students and 34 special program students for a total of 111 in the entire school, despite the efforts to raise enrolment. The number of students that the school could handle is 441.

With such a small number of students the school only had resources to hire the full-time equivalent of 4.85 teachers.  Money from the government is distributed on a per-student basis.

“The funding formula is something that stands in our way,” said trustee Cindy Olsen.

Because so few teachers can be hired, those at St. Mark’s have to plan nearly twice as many programs as their colleagues at other schools.

Those in favour of closing the school argued that the burden placed on teachers and the economic reality of keeping the school open seemed unfeasible, with the school running a deficit of nearly $290 000 for the 2011-2012 school year.

Superintendent Joan Carr also said that the school would require around $1.1 million in upgrades.

While the school remains open, this money will have to come from elsewhere in the Catholic school board’s budget.

Apart from concerns for the community, trustees were also worried about the diminishing Catholic influence in the area.

“We lost St. Pius Church and if we close the school we lose another Catholic presence,” said Olsen.

No further hearings on closure are expected in the near future.

wickstromk2@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Staff and students who have attended Jasper Place High School are invited to celebrate the school’s 50^th anniversary on Feb. 24 and 25.

The festivities will begin Friday, Feb. 24, with a basketball game between the Jasper Place Rebels and their longtime rivals, the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds.

Jasper Place principal Jean Stiles said the healthy rivalry between Jasper Place and Ross Sheppard is something to be celebrated.

“We love Shep, and we’ve always said they’re a great school,” Stiles said. “But we bleed red and they bleed blue.”

Saturday’s activities, starting at noon, will provide attendees with a chance to literally take a stroll down memory lane, or “Decade Alley” as it will be called at Jasper Place.

Each room off Decade Alley will take alumni back to a certain decade of the school’s existence. Stiles said that staff from each era will be present to share memories as well.

“I know the school originally wasn’t a part of Edmonton, and certainly it’s undergone a number of changes over the years,” she said.

When Jasper Place Composite High School was founded in 1961, it was part of the Town of Jasper Place. Since the town was amalgamated with Edmonton in 1964, the school has become the largest in Edmonton, with 2,300 students currently attending, Stiles said.

“It’s interesting the number of students at JP whose parents also went to JP,” Stiles said. “It seems to be that phenomena that continues. People stay in the west end.”

Jasper Place High School is gearing up for its 50th anniversary celebration on February 24 and 25, 2012. Photo supplied.

The school has earned accolades in recent years for the variety of programs it offers its students. Maclean’s magazine recognized Jasper Place High School as the best high school in Canada in 2005.

More recently, the school has been recognized for innovative additions to their science programs. Jasper Place School has become known for its year-round permaculture garden which supplies many of the ingredients for the school cafeteria and culinary students.

The school is also in the process is of implementing a fish farm, or aquaculture, that will supply seafood as well as fertilize the permaculture garden, simulating a full-fledged ecosystem.

“They looked at the sheer number of programs the school offers… there’s something for everyone,” said Stiles.

The anniversary celebration, organized by Jasper Place school, will be open to the public at no cost.

The celebration of JP’s legacy comes as Jasper Place alumni are in the process of planning a reunion event for all past students for Sept. 15 and 16.

The reunion will be held at the Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society Park at 2104 156 St., said Grant Strand, chairman of the planning committee. Tickets are $65 per person.

Strand said the more people register for the September event, the more expansive in scope it can become.

rauschm5@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — A new school in the far west end of Edmonton that is part of a public-private partnership arrangement will be opening this upcoming school year.

Bessie Nichols School, located at 121 Hemingway Rd., will teach kindergarten to Grade 9 and is one of three schools in Edmonton being built through the Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement Project by the Build to Learn partnership.

Build to Learn is a public-private partnership that will take responsibility for the design, construction, financing and 30-year maintenance of schools, while ownership of the schools will still be with Edmonton Public Schools. Essentially, the school district will have a lease on the building for 30 years.

“All of the kindergarten to Grade 9 schools will be built in the exact same manner with the same design,” said Ward E trustee Heather MacKenzie. “They’re all going to be neighborhood schools, so they’re not going to be alternative schools.”

Alternative schools are ones such as downtown’s Victoria School of the Arts, which offers programming that is dedicated to education in fine arts such as drama, dance, visual art and music. Any child from Edmonton can be enrolled at Victoria School, but students at Bessie Nichols will have to reside in the school’s designated attendance areas: the Hamptons, Glastonbury or Granville.

These areas are full of young families to populate Bessie Nichols. The 2006 census showed that 67 per cent of households in the Hamptons area had children still living at home.

Bessie Nichols School, named for the first female trustee on the Edmonton Public School Board, will be a state-of-the-art facility, said Pat Davidson, current principal of Minchau Elementary School and future principal of Bessie Nichols.

Bessie Nichols School, scheduled to open for classes in September, is being built under the Build to Learn partnership which will take responsibility for the design, construction, financing, and 30-year maintenance of school. Photograph by Anna-Grae York.

“We have wireless throughout the school and will have a number of portable laptop labs that teachers will be able to roll into their classrooms,” said the principal of 12 years. “We will also have the Bessie Nichols Network, or BNN, a broadcasting studio to broadcast our announcements live to each classroom Smartboard each morning.”

Bessie Nichols will also be part of the school district’s Portal Project, an online account that each student and staff member will have access to that will allow them to access their learning materials any time, anywhere and from any device.

“This is very exciting work,” said Davidson.

Additional features include:
• FM systems in every classroom
• Smartboard and document cameras in each classroom
• Access to digital video and still cameras

The school’s construction is nearly complete and needs just a few finishing touches, said Davidson.

“I went for a tour last week and the building is absolutely gorgeous,” she said.

Although one may think that the opening of these new, state-of-the-art schools may increase the risk of older, less technological schools being shut down, trustee MacKenzie said that simply won’t be an issue — at least until next November.

“In the November 2010 school year we passed a motion stating that until November 2012 no schools will be considered for closure,” she said.

The Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement built 18 schools in the Calgary and Edmonton areas in 2010, and is now working on building 14 new schools in the same areas — 10 of which will be elementary and middle schools like Bessie Nichols, and four of which will be high schools.

Michael Strembitsky School in Ellerslie, and Major-General Griesbach School in Griesbach are the other two schools in Edmonton being built by the Build to Learn partnership.

The Bessie Nichols’ open house will be held on Feb. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at S. Bruce Smith School at 5545 184 St.

wilsonyorka@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — When Raymond Courchesne died in 1996, he left a huge hole in the community of West Meadowlark.

His legacy lives on in the form of the Raymond Courchesne Memorial Scholarship, which his widow hopes to award again, after a year in which nobody applied.

“I believe in making sure that these scholarships are going out to kids who are furthering their education,” said Sylvia Courchesne, who is the scholarship co-ordinator for West Meadowlark Community League. “This is the way my husband would have wanted it.”

Raymond Courchesne was a teacher, a husband and a father. He was a cornerstone of his community, serving on the West Meadowlark Community League’s executive starting in 1985, and for a time as its president.

Max Welz and Chelsea Moffat receive the Raymond Courchesne Memorial Scholarship from the West Meadowlark Community League in the fall of 2010. Photo supplied by West Meadowlark Community League.

He died at the age of 45 while he was hiking with his son. His death devastated the community, said Sylvia Courchesne.

“He had spent the night doing a casino application (for the community league),” she said. “Six hours later he was gone.”

He is remembered for his dedication to the community and his love of learning. The scholarship program is meant to honour his legacy and support students in the West Meadowlark community.

West Meadowlark offers two $500 scholarships each year to youth who have just completed Grade 12 and are going on to postsecondary education.

Even though the money is available, it doesn’t always get used. Last year, the community league didn’t award its scholarships because nobody applied, said Courchesne.

“Sometimes people just don’t pay attention.”

Information about the scholarships is available in the community newsletter and on the community league’s website, she said.

“A lot of scholarships… unfortunately people don’t know about them,” said Max Welz, a student at the University of Alberta who received the scholarship in 2010.

West Meadowlark isn’t the only community league that offers scholarships to members who are moving on to post-secondary education. Aldergrove and Belmead have similar programs.

Students and their parents are moving into their last semester of high school. Beyond the prospect of graduating in June, many are looking for ways to support their education.

A little extra money when going to school can always be helpful, and can make getting that education just a little bit less stressful. Apart from the financial support, scholarships can also help to motivate young students.

“They make you feel like you’ve done something before you start university,” said Welz.

This all serves to build the community and support those students who will be leaders in the future, and hopefully make community members that people like Raymond Courchesne would be proud of.

West Meadowlark’s deadline for scholarship applications is at the end of August, and they are available to community members graduating from Grade 12.

If you don’t live in West Meadowlark, check the community league websites to see what is offered in your community.

The government of Alberta as well as most universities also have scholarship listings to help students find financial support.

wickstromk2@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Journalism is in a constant state of change, and success depends on one’s ability to adapt to new technology and expectations, a panel of young reporters recently told students at Grant MacEwan University.

(Left to right) Jasmine Franklin, Brittney Le Blanc, Scott Lilwall, Laurie Callsen and Catherine Szabo spoke to a group of journalism students at Grant MacEwan University's Centre for the Arts and Communication on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011. Photograph by Shaamini Yogaretnam.

Five twenty-something reporters employed across the province spoke to MacEwan’s journalism class on Dec. 14 about their views on the shift.

“I have a love affair with the newspaper,” said Edmonton Sun reporter Jasmine Franklin, 22. “My heart is in print and it always will be, so I hope it will stick around.”

Franklin has adapted to the growing demands of the job by adding web, TV and multimedia production to her repertoire.

She is not alone.

“Multimedia journalists are going to be key,” said iNews 880 reporter Brittney Le Blanc, 26. “You have to know how to do everything these days; one trick ponies are a thing of the past.”

Journalists are now expected to file stories for both print and the web, provide photographs, create audio and video features and build their social networks, all in a days work.

“Online is where journalism is going, so you need to have all those different skills and be able to figure things out,” said Lloydminster Source reporter Catherine Szabo, 22.

With the rise of online news comes an increase in the number of bloggers and citizen journalists, which the panel unanimously agreed was a positive thing.

“I think we’re going to see a lot more news entrepreneurs,” said Camrose Canadian reporter Laurie Callsen, 21. “It’s so easy to do the whole citizen journalism piece, and there’s no reason why journalists and citizen journalists can’t band together and help each other out.”

The panel advised students to pursue all avenues of the industry, especially its more technical aspects.

“If you have an interest in programming and web design, focus on it and learn it because that’s what places need now,” said CBC Radio Edmonton reporter Scott Lilwall, 26. “There are a lot of people out there who don’t even know what that stuff is yet, so there’s a real need for people who have those skills.”

Regardless of which avenue journalists choose to pursue, the most important thing is that they establish themselves as reliable sources, Callsen said.

“You have to fight to show your audience that you’re a credible source, regardless of whether you’re working online or not,” she said.

Panelists cautioned students to remember that regardless of the medium used, news writing is an art form above all else.

“Journalism isn’t just about information, it’s storytelling. Nobody wants to just read point form information,” Lilwall said.

Shaamini Yogaretnam and a few others in the class live-tweeted the panel’s appearance. Here is Shaamini’s Storify summary of the tweets:

LaliotisV@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Edmonton public school board trustees have decided against creating a November break for students.

Trustee Ken Shipka had originally brought forward the proposal to have students return to school four days earlier in the summer and receive a week-long break in November around Remembrance Day. But he withdrew his motion, and trustees approved a school calendar without a November break at the Dec. 13 board meeting.

The Edmonton Public School Board trustees approved a regular school calendar on Dec. 13 instead of introducing a week-long break in November. Photograph by Maxwell Rausch

A survey of students, staff and teachers regarding a break drew more than 10,000 responses, which was a record.

“We had such high uptake in terms of responding to the survey that it is clear that this is an item that is of interest to Edmontonians,” said vice-chair Sarah Hoffman, who led the meeting because chairman Dave Colburn was in China on school board business. “Staff, students, families and general community members as well.”

Opinions on the matter were split almost down the middle.

“In terms of parent support and opposition, I think it was slightly more in support, but it was almost even split,” Hoffman said.

In the end, there was not enough evidence that adding a break in November would be beneficial to student achievement, Hoffman said.

“At previous board meetings we asked about any connection to student achievement and student outcomes; there wasn’t any definitive increase in terms of student outcomes and schools that did have a modified calendar,” said Hoffman. “There wasn’t clear enough direction that having this change would result in improved outcomes for our students.”

Trustee Christopher Spencer, whose Ward C includes a number of west Edmonton schools, said survey results in his area were unusual in that a clear majority of respondents opposed the idea of November break.

“Only 40 per cent favoured change (in my district),” said Spencer.

Due to the fact that the majority of supporters of a November break were high school staff and students, the board is open to considering implementing a fall break for high school students in the future, Spencer said.

Melok2@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Public School Board voted Dec. 13 to ask the Alberta government to repeal a contentious section of the Alberta Human Rights Act.

Section 11.1 of the Human Rights Act, first introduced as Bill 44 in 2009, requires that schools notify parents and obtain consent before teaching classes on religion, sexual development or sexual orientation.

Vice-chair Sarah Hoffman said that because the clause exists in the Human Rights Act, concerned parents theoretically could take teachers before the Human Rights Commission without ever expressing their concerns to the school.

“There’s no requirement that you actually work with the school to try to resolve the concern,” Hoffman said. “You could subvert that process and go directly to the Human Rights Commission.”

The Edmonton Public School Board voted on December 13, 2011, to ask the province to repeal Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act, which opponents say has had a negative impact on learning in the classroom. Photograph by Maxwell Rausch.

Trustee Heather MacKenzie, whose Ward E covers part of west Edmonton, first brought the motion to call for repeal. She said Section 11.1 has had a negative impact on education.

“I think there is a fear some teachers have around approaching some subjects because of this section,” MacKenzie said.

She told the board how the Stephen Lewis Foundation could not book speakers in schools for fear of legal repercussions.

“Section 11.1 has had the adverse effect of making teachers afraid to have [speakers] come to their classroom to talk about HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Not all trustees supported the motion to repeal the law. Trustee Cheryl Johner, who represents Ward A in the city’s north end, told the board she has always appreciated, as a parent, being notified when religion or sexuality were to be taught.

“Not that I’ve ever pulled them out (of a class), but I thought it was important, if I did have any questions, to know it was up and coming,” Johner said.

Trustee Christopher Spencer, whose Ward C covers the other part of Edmonton’s west end, said the School Act already affirms parental rights to know and consent to their children’s participation in classes about religion and sexuality.

“This section (11.1) of the Human Rights Act is redundant,” Spencer said.

“We’re not changing the parents’ right to be consulted, we’re saying it’s better as an educational piece than as a human rights piece,” he said.

Hoffman said the School Act still allows parents to take their concerns to the principal of a school, the school board, and ultimately Alberta Education if they believe it is necessary.

Hoffman said she had not heard of any complaints that had been taken that far.

“If parents approach the teacher and the principal, 95 per cent of the time it gets resolved right there,” Hoffman said.

The board voted 5 to 3 in favour of asking the Alberta government to repeal Section 11.1. Chair Dave Colburn was absent from the meeting on official business in China.

Hoffman said the board will draft its letter to the provincial government within the month. Then it is in the hands of the province whether Section 11.1 will be repealed.

Rauschm5@mymail.macewan.ca