The Alberta government’s policies on gender identity policies in schools were introduced to the Legislature on October 31st as Bill 27.

In short, we got both a little more and a little less than we were promised when the ideas were first introduced in January.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association and their front group, the Alberta School Councils Association, oppose the Bill.

They claim to speak for parents, yet in opposing the Bill they prove, again, that they fundamentally distrust parents.

Bill 27 includes parents more in their children’s education by including us more in the decisions that schools have been excluding parents from.

Here at the Alberta Parents’ Union, we think that’s a good thing.

If you’re already familiar with Bill 27, you can become a member of the Alberta Parents’ Union now, by clicking here.

Otherwise, read on as we explore what Bill 27 says, giving special attention to what is different from the January 31st announcement.

Rights In Emergencies

During the COVID-19 era, parents were prevented from having a say in their children’s education.

Schools were closed and COVID restrictions dramatically affected education, often against parents’ wishes.

Bill 27 enshrines a right to education (in-person or online), even in an emergency.

It also requires schools to seek a parent’s consent to other emergency health measures, like masking, for students younger than 16.

While this wasn’t part of the January 31st announcement, it is consistent with the communications parents have been giving to and receiving from this government.

Shifting expectations away from schools abandoning their most basic deal with parents - that they will be open and provide an education - is certainly a pro-parent policy.

Names And Pronouns

Exactly as announced in January, Bill 27 will require schools to inform parents if students begin to use a new name or pronouns in school.

For students age 15 and under, parents must also consent to this change.

You wouldn’t know it from the media attention this issue has received, but this is actually the current status quo policy at many school divisions.

And contrary to the gloom and doom predictions of some, there is no crisis emerging in the school divisions that have already adopted this policy.

Still, this Bill is necessary, because other school divisions, including the largest ones with the most students, have policies prohibiting disclosure of names or pronouns to parents and removing any discretion from teachers and principals to do so.

The lack of any discretion that is permitted in existing school policies is already leading to a large number of absurd policy results (and we’ll have more to say on this issue shortly), but the goal should be to reduce these kinds of unintended outcomes, not exacerbate them.

Notice And Consent

Also, as announced in January, parents will be given notice and the opportunity to affirmatively consent before their children are given formal instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity, or human sexuality.

Changing this notice and consent regime from an opt-out to an opt-in empowers parents and incentivizes schools to be more forthcoming with the content they intend to teach.

If the participation rate in these classes falls, as opponents of Bill 27 fear, that would be an indication that schools have not been honest with parents about what content they are teaching.

Encouraging schools to trust parents is bound to also help parents trust schools in return, and public schools should be worthy of the public trust.

Unfortunately, contrary to what was indicated in January, the opt-in notice only applies to lessons “primarily and explicitly” about sexual orientation, gender identity, or human sexuality.

This loophole is how the ATA’s “Prism Toolkit” is able to be used in K-12 classrooms.

The toolkit’s lesson plans are supposedly “primarily and explicitly” about math or social studies, but are written and actually compiled for their sexual content.

We are concerned that, if Prism Toolkit lessons can be used in K-12 classes without parental consent, this portion of this law will not deliver on its promise of parental inclusion in any substantial way.

Approval Of Resources

There’s also been a similar loophole introduced to the portion of the law that requires supplementary resources on sexual orientation, gender identity, or human sexuality to be approved by Alberta Education.

Approval will only be required when the material is “primarily and explicitly” about one of those topics.

While the rest of this portion of the Bill reflects what we were promised in January, we said then that we prefer disclosure to parents over approval by the Education Ministry.

We believe parents are better than politicians and families are better than functionaries at knowing what is age-appropriate for children.

Ministry approval also opens up the possibility that Catholic or independent schools that prefer more traditional materials on these topics could face roadblocks, especially with a different Education Minister.

We also believe disclosure to parents should be broader than simply the topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, or human sexuality.

We believe it shouldn’t be nearly so daunting, and sometimes impossible, for parents to find out what their child is learning, no matter the topic.

Alliances Are Exempt

Minister Nicolaides clarified immediately after the January 31st announcement that Gay Straight Alliances and Queer Straight Alliances would be exempt from the requirements of what we now know as Bill 27.

Yet, his rationale then was that GSAs and QSAs have no formal instruction or curriculum.

If GSAs and QSAs have no formal instruction, it is left for parents to wonder why Bill 27 exempts formal instruction in GSAs and QSAs from all its requirements.

What You Can Do

As always, we encourage you to speak up and have your voice heard.

If you have an opinion on this legislation, you can provide feedback to Premier Smith at premier@gov.ab.ca and Minister Nicolaides at education.minister@gov.ab.ca.

We suggest thanking them for following through with many of their promises from January 31st, but emphasize that the “primarily and explicitly” loophole must be closed, so that all formal classroom instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity, or human sexuality requires affirmative parental consent.

Still, overall, we're thrilled to see the Government of Alberta correct a series of provincial and school board policies that drifted into absurdity, without parent input.

This legislation is important.

It is a win for parents and children.

And, it could be even better with your help.

We don’t expect busy parents to read every Bill and understand how best to advocate for greater parental voice.

That’s why we’re here.

Our goal is to represent you, and advocate for your views.