Thread by @JoeMcFarland

Time for another patented #ABleg thread from yours truly. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole this morning, as it irritates me that @jkenney & @AdrianaLaGrange are painting people who aren't in favour of their proposed curriculum as "leftist activists." This isn't about politics.

This is about what my child will have to learn in a few years if this curriculum is implemented. As a parent, I have wanted to do my research because, at some point, I will be asked to help my child with their homework. So I went down a rabbit hole. #ABleg

If you head to the province's curriculum website, you can sort each subject by grade. Then each outcome is sorted by "knowledge", "understanding" & "skills & procedures." The latter is essentially what each child is expected to be able to do by the end of the year. #ABleg

As we have all seen, the reaction has been fast & furious on a number of fronts. The biggest issues, as I see them, are the age-appropriate nature of the content, and the sheer volume they want our kids to cover in a year. Let's take grade 1 social studies. 6 year olds. #ABleg

In the next few tweets, I will include screenshots of all of the "skills & procedures" outlined for the kids to be able to handle. Again, as you read this, put yourself into the shoes of a parent of a 6-year-old. #ABleg

Don't worry...we're just getting started. #ABleg

It keeps going and going and... #ABleg

And there you have it. I'll let you catch your breath, as that's a lot to take in. #ABleg

OK. So what did you think? Ready to help your kid with their homework? Some of it will be easy, I'm sure. Some of it is gonna be tougher. But again, are these appropriate for first graders? You good with migration patterns? Petroglyphs? Developing comparison charts? #ABleg

I know a few adults who couldn't do this all on their own, yet we want 6-year-olds to be fluent in it? I'm all for "aiming for greatness," but this is something else. And talk about a focus on rote memorization (which is the opposite of where #education is going). #ABleg

As someone who has actually been in a classroom in the last 5 years as a volunteer in my wife's grade 3 class, I honestly can't imagine how tough it will be to teach this stuff to young kids. But it's my role as a parent that has me most concerned. #ABleg

#Education in the early years is all about building blocks. Each year, you learn new concepts that will create a framework for future learning. If our kids aren't getting these concepts in their formative years, how far behind will they be in junior high & high school? #ABleg

Again, this is just a small snapshot of one subject for one grade. I could break it down for each & show just how ridiculous some of the content is. I'm no curriculum expert, but I can't help but feel this is setting up our kids & our #education system for failure. #ABleg

Don't believe me? Spend a half-hour on the curriculum website & break it down like I did for one grade & one subject, then read all of what's expected. Now multiply that by 6 grades & by the number of subjects. That's why you're seeing the reaction you are. #ABleg

I'll end with this: I actually support updating the curriculum. I think it should be done on a regular basis. Our world changes constantly, especially with how much info is now at our fingertips. Kids shouldn't have content that hasn't been updated since I was in high school.

However, what's being proposed isn't the answer. Most of it isn't age-appropriate & the sheer volume of content is like making our kids drink out of a fire hydrant. If we, as parents, don't stand up for our kids, who will? Thanks for tuning in. #ABleg