Shelley Svidal
The three men vying to succeed Kevin Taft as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party (ALP) converged on Barnett House October 3 for the first debate of the campaign. Mo Elsalhy, David Swann and Dave Taylor shared their views on education with teachers and members of the public at an event sponsored by the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
Elsalhy, a pharmacist and former MLA for Edmonton-McClung, told participants that, because he, Swann and Taylor all had a hand in developing the party’s platform for the 2008 provincial general election, they exhibit "differences of degree, not direction." Noting that Liberals have traditionally aligned themselves with teachers, parents and schools on education issues, Elsalhy described education "as the true option guaranteed to sustain our economy."
He pointed out that the Liberal caucus had accepted all of the recommendations of Alberta’s Commission on Learning, including those urging the government to establish junior and full-day kindergarten programs which the government rejected. While such programs should be phased in, they would help educators catch students’ learning problems early on, he said.
Elsalhy also pointed out that the Liberal caucus had called for a revamping of the criteria for school closures and for additional parent input before schools are closed. The caucus continues to call for a school nutrition program, especially for students at risk, he said. He expressed support for using Grade 3 achievement tests as a diagnostic tool and urged the government to eliminate school fees and parent fundraising requirements for essentials like photocopier paper.
Swann, a physician and MLA for Calgary-Mountain View, described life itself, the environment and healthy communities as his passion. Noting that he had spent all of his professional life creating the conditions for health, he suggested that the purpose of government is to create the conditions for health, well-being and prosperity. "Government is supposed to be in the business of thinking about and planning for the well-being of its citizens, as well as the development of its resources, in a safe and sustainable way," he said.
He identified four major issues confronting Alberta—the economy; climate change; increased social challenges, such as gang violence, mental health issues and homelessness; and declining democracy. All of them he described as issues of leadership.
As a physician in Africa, the Philippines and Iraq, Swann developed a strong sense that medicine was not going to save the world. "I saw the connections between politics and health and how difficult it is to find the conditions conducive to health when politics is corrupt, inept [and] incompetent," he said. "Good politics should be about creating the conditions for healthy communities. That’s something I know something about."
Taylor, a journalist and MLA for Calgary-Currie, described a successful education system as the cornerstone of any accomplished society. "In those societies, it leads to diverse, vibrant communities. It forms the underpinning of successful economies. But most importantly, it serves to fulfill the hopes and dreams of our children," he said.
Taylor also described early childhood education as the base from which all future success is realized. Like Elsalhy, he promoted the establishment of junior and full-day kindergarten programs as recommended by the learning commission. "The earlier we catch [students], the earlier we can intervene, the more success we will have and the more successful they will be," he said. "I want Alberta to adopt a more robust early childhood education system and to see that Albertans have the choice to access this valuable part of the learning system much earlier on."
While affirming that Alberta has a great education system, Taylor pointed out that there is room for improvement. To that end, he committed to keep class sizes in line. "It’s not enough to set divisional class averages. We have to take more steps to ensure class size targets adopted in Alberta and widely supported by parents and educators alike are the norm and not the exception," he said. Basic education must be defined in more than generalities, he added. What the government’s commitment to basic education covers should be "glaringly transparent."
Alberta Liberals hold annual convention
Taft reiterated those themes at the ALP’s annual convention in west Edmonton October 4–5, likening Alberta to a ship that has lost its course. "Sure, our schools are mostly good, our health system works pretty well for most people if they can get into it and our roads are finally getting the repairs they need. But as a society we’ve lost our course," he said. "There is no particular social goal or intellectual goal or any other kind of goal. Alberta is in danger of becoming a well-stocked boat adrift on the ocean of history, with the crew and passengers gradually partying their way through the supplies."
The ALP has brought forward plans to correct that course and understands the importance of continuing to try to implement them, he said. "[A]nger and fear are not at the very core of why we keep doing what we’re doing. After fear and anger, there is hope. More than anything, the reason we keep going on this crazy path is because we have hope."
Teachers interested in voting for the next leader of the ALP must purchase a membership by November 7. The results of the leadership selection process will be announced December 13 in Calgary. Membership information is available on the party’s website (www.albertaliberal.com).
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