You are making a difference!
One week ago PCE released the shocking news that Alberta Education has commanded faith-based schools to scrub references to such terms as “truth” from their "Safe and Caring" school policies or risk losing funding and/or accreditation.
You took action: spreading the word to your networks, writing emails/letters, making phone calls, and scheduling meetings in order to send a clear message to the Minister of Education, the Premier, the Opposition United Conservative Party, and the media that Alberta Education’s aggressive attack is unacceptable.
Continue to keep the pressure on.
Be assured that your efforts so far are making a difference and your voices are being heard.
MEDIA COVERAGE
We thank Licia Corbella for her Postmedia column this past week:
"Truth. It’s a word that Alberta Education says isn’t diverse enough and could lead to a school being shut down by the province. This is not a joke." [READ MORE]
We also thank Danielle Smith who featured John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, on her NewsTalk 770 radio program. Listen here: Alberta NDP Government wants to ban statements of faith in private schools
UCP STATEMENT
It is also important for PCE to inform our supporters when public statements are made by elected representatives that show support for an excellent, quality-oriented, choice-driven education system that recognises parental authority.
A couple days ago, the United Conservative Party (UCP) released such a statement, connected to a petition.
For those who appreciate this strong statement in support of parental choice in education, it is essential to let the UCP opposition know - either by signing the petition or sending a message of thanks to the UCP via Mark Smith, UCP Education Critic (contact info here).
Here is an excerpt from the statement:
"The United Conservatives will never waver in our support of the fundamental freedom to practice one’s religion of choice freely and openly. Freedom of religion is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as the Alberta Bill of Rights. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states that 'parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.'”
"We will continue to stand behind Alberta’s longstanding tradition of school choice, and we will fight for all families to have the options for their children that best fit the unique and individual needs of the child." [READ FULL UCP STATEMENT HERE]
We hope that other elected representatives from all parties in the Alberta Legislature will also recognize and call out this blatant attack on the fundamental rights of citizens, and stand firm for family and freedom in Alberta.
KEEP THE PRESSURE ON
Thousands of children in Alberta could lose the school they love. Keep the pressure on.
Here are some important actions you can continue to take:
CONTACT the Education Minister via phone and email (click here for contact info). Another organization called ARPA has created a guide for phone calls to the Minister's office, as well as an “Easy Mail” email template.
SHARE this article with others via email, text and social media
LEARN MORE about how dangerous changes to law impact all schools in this province through our new PCE Toolkit
SIGN UP on our homepage to stay updated with PCE newsletters & alerts via email
JOIN US on Facebook
ENGAGE in politics
CONTACT US to host a PCE presentation to equip those in your sphere of influence with important information
DONATE to strengthen our voice and impact