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St. Paul Education apologizes for insensitive course material on residential schools

St. Paul Education is apologizing for what Superintendent Glen Brodziak calls an inexcusable question found in a social studies module on Wednesday.
residential question

St. Paul Education is apologizing for what Superintendent Glen Brodziak calls an inexcusable question found in a social studies module on Wednesday.

The question reads "A positive effect of residential schools was:" and then offers four multiple choice responses including "children were away from home, children learned to read, children were taught manners," and "children became civilized."

A photograph of the question, with the comment "my teacher got me all the way f--- up if he actually expects me to answer this s---. f--- disgusted." was widely circulated on social media Wednesday and Thursday.

We were unable to track down the original student, and the original post has since been removed although screenshots of that post with the identifying information removed are still circulating.

Brodziak says the module, Social Studies 20-4 is one of many pre-packaged courses from the Alberta Distance Learning Centre which the division uses to teach students enrolled in the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre, a junior and senior high school setting where students take courses by correspondence under the supervision of division teachers. Most of the students at SPAEC are between the ages of 15 and 18.

"We've contacted the Alberta Distance Learning Centre and informed them of the inappropriate material and removed that content from the course" said Brodziak.

A spokesperson from Alberta Distance Learning Centre has not yet returned calls for comment.

The province is currently developing a new curriculum which Brodziak says the division is looking forward to.

"Currently, all Grade 10 students from across our division participate in a tour of the Blue Quills Residential School led by a survivor. All of our Grade 7 students take part in the Karos Blanket Exercise which gives a history of colonization.  All division staff are required to participate in both exercises and are involved in additional professional learning activities surrounding Truth and Reconciliation" said Brodziak.

Education Minister David Eggen said he has instructed Alberta Education to review the material used by the ADLC "to make sure the use of this resource – and any others like it – is immediately discontinued."

When asked how incidents like this one impact efforts at reconciliation with the First Nations communities, Brodziak said "we've reached out to them, but I can't speak for them. I know that if I were in their shoes I would wonder and I would question certain things. It's pretty damaging. But I can't speak for them."

Eggen said "I will also be personally reaching out to the student who was subjected to this hateful material to apologize and issue an invitation to a curriculum round table on Indigenous education that I am hosting next week" said Eggen.


"We are proud to serve students and their families from our four neighbouring First Nations.  Our goal in sharing the details of this incident is to be fully open and honest. Again, I accept responsibility for this action and I am sorry" said Brodziak in a statement.

The full statement of apology and explanation of the incident is available on the St. Paul Education website.

See the Sept. 25 issue of the St. Paul Journal for more coverage.

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