Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the millennia innumerable wars have been fought over the separation of church and state, but now this government has blurred that separation and threatens to turn Alberta classrooms into the next battleground. 

To the Minister of Education: how can you expect teachers to know which lessons would be objectionable on religious grounds when your colleagues cannot even agree on what would be considered religious subject matter?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I don’t expect teachers at all to take a look at each and every part of the curriculum through any form of religious lens whatsoever. The curriculum they’re teaching is mandated. They’re required to teach the curriculum that we provide to them. What the hon. member is obviously referring to is a bill that is coming up for debate later on today, possibly, and certainly has been before the House that is talking about a potential for opting out of instruction about religion. I think the House can be very clear and teachers can be very clear what we mean about instruction about religion. About religion is about the faiths that we know and the faiths that people practise. That’s not about using religion to correct the curriculum. It’s about instruction about religion.

Mr. Chase: Why is the minister imposing an unreasonable burden on Alberta teachers by requiring them to send out consent forms in advance of the countless situations that could be considered objectionable?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I’m really pleased that the hon. member is helping to clear this up because we are not requiring teachers to send out notices to parents about things that people might consider objectionable in the curriculum. What we’re asking is what they’re required to do now: to send out notice when they’re teaching about human sexuality so that parents can participate in the education of their children on something that is very important to them and their families. With respect to religion the School Act currently provides for an exemption where there’s religious instruction. The new provision will provide for instruction about religion – not about anything else; instruction about religion – and notifying parents in the same way that they do now with respect to human sexuality. It’s not a burden, and it certainly shouldn’t freeze up discussion in the class on any other topic.

Mr. Chase: How do you justify turning secular public schools into opt-out Sunday schools when taxpayer-subsidized home-schooling, charter, and private school options exist?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, the only time that religion would come up that I’m aware of in a public school curriculum is if a teacher decided to teach a module, for example, on comparative religions. Science is not about religion. Social studies is not about religion. Math is not about religion. Certainly, literature is not about religion. They all may have some issues that cover religious topics in them. This act is about teaching about religion, and there’s nothing in the curriculum now that I’m aware of which requires teaching about religion. But if a module came up where a teacher wanted to bring, for example, comparative religions into the social studies curriculum, then, and only then, would they be required to provide notice to parents and let them know what is included in that curriculum.

Alberta Hansard, May 7, 2009

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