Supporting Alberta students and families

Overview

The Education Amendment Act, 2024 (formerly Bill 27), supports families and students navigating complex conversations around gender identity, sexual orientation, and human sexuality, while also supporting continuity in a student’s learning during a public health emergency or state of emergency.

The amendments create greater transparency in communication between school authorities and parents and results in greater consistency for students, parents and teachers.

The Education Amendment Act, 2024, amends the Education Act, which specifies goals for Alberta’s education system and identifies the roles and responsibilities of the Ministry, school boards, charter schools, private schools, teachers, parents and students.

Key changes

The Education Amendment Act, 2024, adds new sections, as well as amends sections 18, 30, 53, 58.1 and 58.2 of the Education Act, and requires:

• school authorities to notify parents where a student requests that teachers, principals and other school staff refer to them by a new preferred name or pronouns related to gender identity
• that teachers, principals and other school staff cannot use the new gender identity-related preferred name or pronouns until parental notification has occurred, and for students under 16 years of age, until parental consent has been obtained
• school authorities to ensure students are provided with counselling or other assistance prior to parental notification if the above notification is reasonably expected to result in psychological or emotional harm to the student, or at the student’s request
• school authorities to notify parents and provide the opportunity to opt their child in, rather than opt-out, where courses, programs of study or instructional materials, instruction, or exercises include subject matter that deals primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality
• that learning and teaching resources dealing primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality must be approved by the Minister of Education, unless such resources are being used to provide religious instruction
• that external parties presenting learning and teaching resources dealing primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality must be approved by the Minister of Education, whether in the context of religious instruction or otherwise

The Education Amendment Act, 2024, also amends the preamble and adds sections 3.1, 3.2 and 11.1 of the Education Act to:

• establish a new right to education during emergencies, underscoring students must have access to in-person learning throughout public health emergencies or states of emergency
• require school authorities to notify and obtain parental consent for non-routine individual health measures applicable to a student aged 15 and under during an emergency or be notified only if the student is aged 16 or older
• establish authority for upcoming regulatory amendments, which would provide guidance on expectations for learning during emergencies

Amendments were also made to the following regulations under the Education Act:

• In-person Learning Regulation
• Charter Schools Regulation
• Private Schools Regulation
• Early Childhood Services Regulation

Next steps

Amendments related to notification and consent for health measures, the right to education during emergencies, and updated requirements for shifts to at-home learning are anticipated to take effect early 2025.

Remaining amendments in the Education Amendment Act, 2024, are anticipated to take effect on September 1, 2025. This includes changes related to:

• parental notification and consent for gender identity-related preferred names and pronouns
• Minister approval of learning and teaching resources that deal primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality, unless such resources are being used to provide religious instruction
• Minister approval of external parties presenting learning and teaching resources dealing primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality, whether in the context of religious instruction or otherwise
• parental notification and opt-in for subject matter dealing primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality

Engagement

An online survey was open to Albertans in early 2023 to share input on what amendments to legislation could better equip the province to cope with future public health emergencies. The Public Health Emergencies Governance Review Panel Final Report used input from this survey to inform their recommendations.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education engaged about gender-related policy implementation with approximately 250 stakeholders including school boards, parent and teacher representatives, superintendents, mental health organizations and other education stakeholders in spring 2024. 

News

• Supporting Alberta students and families (October 31, 2024)