Education platform laid out: UCP leader says party backs gay-straight alliances
Posted Mar 25, 2019 02:21:27 PM.
Last Updated Mar 25, 2019 02:22:08 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY – The leader of Alberta’s United Conservatives says if his party were to head the government, schools would operate under rules for gay-straight alliance clubs developed before the NDP came to power.
He says the UCP would resurrect the former Progressive Conservative government’s unproclaimed Education Act, which included a provision to support the clubs in schools.
The New Democrats amended the School Act to bring in further protections for LGBTQ students — including barring school officials from telling parents if their kids join one of the clubs.
Kenney says he supports gay-straight alliances for young people to get peer support if they’re being bullied and adds he wants a less contentious relationship with religious schools.
He also says his party would lift a cap on the number of charter schools in Alberta, focus on improving math and science grades and ensure consent was taught in all sex education classes.
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He announced his education platform for the April 16 election at the private Calgary Jewish Academy today.