Hello Minister Eggen, Aug 13, 2018
While scrolling online for a little more information regarding the Alberta public school curriculum changes, I came across something that you said in an article in 2016 about the curriculum review:
"The world is changing," he said. "We know that the 21st century career is involving using critical thinking skills to be able to process information, to access it and make evaluations on those higher levels." 1
Now these words piqued in my brain as I have been doing my own home study curriculum review and research. I am currently reading about a model of education which seems brand new to me, someone who went through the Alberta public model a couple decades ago.
In reality, this model of education has been around for at least 2,500 years. What I speak about is Classical Education. The three skills taught in a Classical Education are Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.
In the Grammar stage the children will harness the natural capability of their elementary years to form a large base of knowledge by memorization and recitation. This ranges from the ability to recite their multiplication tables, to free-hand draw the world map while naming at least 200 locations, to recognize and name the faces of all of Canada’s Prime Ministers and many World leaders back into the time of Early Mesopotamia. As opposed to late night cramming for an exam the next day where the information is never logged into the long term memory bank, the memorization techniques used in the Grammar level teaches a child to use their brain as a reference tool. Consider that up until the 1950’s recitation was a common way to test one’s knowledge. Recall that before paper was accessible how stories and history were passed down through the generations: through a massive volume of memorization.
It is possible for our children to learn these skills instead of relying on their calculators, hand held devices, or Google.
The Logic stage will ask the children to consider how different concepts among the subjects relate to each other. You may consider that everything you said in your quote is speaking about the Logic stage. Referencing the content established in the Grammar stage of education, the children will use their critical thinking skills to process information, access it, and make evaluations.
If most children educated in our province have not established a solid foundation of knowledge how do you expect them to excel in their 21st century career?
Do the curriculum changes involve a higher focus on math fact memorization? (vs. Calculator use)
Do the curriculum changes involve learning about the rise and fall of empires, cities, or countries (past the age of our young Canada) whose leaders were at times heroic or tyrannical? (“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”)
Do the curriculum changes address our declining literacy rates? (As per ABC Life Literacy Canada and The Conference Board of Canada – How Canada Performs)
Do the curriculum changes focus on logic derived from fact or opinion derived from pop culture and the newest social trend of the age?
I can look around at my own generation and see the dependence on the calculator for simple math calculations, the deprived bank of historical knowledge with which to relate our current day, the disability in deriving understanding from documents which concern me as a citizen of this country, the confusion cloud surrounding gender fluidity that completely disregards what science says about our genders.
And again, I would argue that most conversations, hot topic or other, have more to do with emotion and opinion than logic. We, the products of this factory education, do not have the core facts with which to step into the arena of logic. To be fair, let us say that we do have a good point here and there, but how is this information relayed to the other party? In a calm, respectable manner with which we can still honor the other human in front of us? One look inside our Parliament meetings, we can see that this is not the case. Why is that? Do we have the skills and discipline with which to relay our ideas?
This brings me to the third stage of a Classical Education, the Rhetoric stage. Rhetoric is the art of using words effectively in writing or speech. This stage recognizes that our words do and should have a great impact and to formulate and use these words in a thoughtful manner.
The school that I attended did not have a debate class or debate club, and I wonder if that is the extra bit of knowledge that those involved in debate are able to glean. Mr. Eggen, does it not seem that this final step, the Rhetorical one, is not at all invested in by our schools? Introduce me to someone who can have a thoughtful and civil discussion with another of a different opinion and I should like to shake their hand. This seems a skill that I lack, and I can’t find many folks around me who have it either. For some reason our institution asks us to accept anything and question nothing. If we question something we risk that person or entity taking offense.
In closing, I feel saddened for the products – the children – of this system. Perhaps you could have a read into Classical Education and consider how these timeless skills can fortify our province and our country. Imagine a room filled with skilled rhetoricians using logic and reason thoughtfully engaged in discussion. That would be a beautiful thing whether it is in the Legislature, the classroom, or in my own home.
God bless you,
Shayna Pritchard
1 – CBC News (2006, June 15). Alberta Begins Six-Year Overhaul of Education Curriculum. CBC News Edmonton. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-begins-six-year-overhaul-of-education-curriculum-1.3636519.
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