Alberta Education

In subversive move, Edmonton school board chair calls for optional Catholic programs in public schools

| February 8, 2017

In a brilliantly subversive move, Michael Janz, chair of the Edmonton Public School Board, has publicly wondered in a blog post if the board he leads should set up its own optional Catholic program.

After all, the Edmonton Public School Board has a pretty long and successful record of running faith-based programs under its auspices, Janz noted mischievously on Monday in the personal blog he publishes online. There's a Protestant Christian program, a Jewish program and a Muslim program, all operating under the board's auspices with proper attention to standards and curricula.

Ted Byfield is back, cyber-crusading for Jason Kenney's bid to lead Alberta back to the '50s!

David J. Climenhaga

| January 30, 2017

Like the proverbial bad penny, Ted Byfield is back.

It should come as no surprise that Byfield, now 87 and still apparently furious the world has changed, is once again hoping to influence Alberta's political course.

Athabasca University Students' Union eyes legal action to block retroactive changes to nursing program

David J. Climenhaga

| October 14, 2016

Neil Fassina, former provost and academic vice-president of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, started work in his new role as president of Athabasca University this week.

The first major item on the new president's agenda? Well, it probably should be figuring out what to do about the Athabasca University Students' Union's plan to take the university to court over retroactive changes to the AU nursing program's regulations by the Faculty of Health Disciplines.

We don't need an inquiry -- we need to bring the hammer of defunding down now on scofflaw private schools

David J. Climenhaga

| September 21, 2016

To jaw-jaw is generally held to be better than to war-war, as Winston Churchill observed, but there are times when a short, sharp correction is what a situation demands.

Alberta's New Democratic government now faces just such a circumstance in the case of the two Edmonton-area private Baptist schools openly defying the government on the matter of the Jim Prentice-era Tory law, supported back in the day by the NDP, that requires schools to permit students to form gay-straight alliances and other types of anti-bullying clubs.

Alberta government names five new members to Athabasca University Board of Governors

David J. Climenhaga

| September 17, 2016

Like this article? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.

The Alberta government has moved quietly but dramatically to begin the difficult work of fixing the serious problems at Athabasca University, appointing five new members to the financially troubled distance education institution's board of governors.

There has been no news release and no official announcement -- other than the bare-bones mention of the five appointments in the government's Orders in Council, published Wednesday.

With few ideas to end its financial crisis, and austerity on the way, Athabasca U edges toward the precipice

David J. Climenhaga

| February 23, 2015

Like this article? Chip in to keep stories like these coming.

Founded by Alberta's Social Credit government in 1970 as a leader in distance education for a predominantly rural province, Athabasca University now faces an existential crisis at the worst possible moment politically speaking -- just as the government of Premier Jim Prentice prepares to embark on another round of destructive budget cuts.

Alberta Education

rabble.ca in your inbox!

Top Picks On rabble