Should Big Oil Be Involved in Developing New School Curriculum?

Recently, it has come to light that the Ministry of Education for the Province of Alberta has decided to reach out to corporations and other organizations during their attempts to develop a new curriculum for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.  On the Ministry website, it was discovered that among the potential corporate partners are Alberta Oil Sands giants Syncrude and Suncor.

Screenshot from Alberta Education Website

The discovery was made by an NDP member of the Alberta legislature and has since stirred up a massive debate as to whether or not big oil companies, or any large corporations for that matter should be involved at all in the development of educational curriculum?

A recent report in the Edmonton Journal notes that neither Syncrude nor Suncor are officially partners at this time, but they would consider any invitations offered to them.

The mere fact that such an offer would be extended to companies that are deeply involved and responsible for the massive environmental catastrophe that is the Alberta Oilsands is of significant concern to me.  Similar to many of the stories coming out of the US where organizations with polarizing or extremist views are trying to rewrite curriculum in several States as it relates to issues such as climate change, homosexuality and other issues, the precedent that this may possibly set should set off alarm bells to parents in Alberta and beyond.

At this stage much is speculative but regardless, the mere suggestion that the educational platform that guides the development of Alberta’s children could be influenced in any way by corporations who see profit ahead of the well being of our environment should raise alarm bells and voices across the land.

It seems asinine to create a framework which allows those who dispute the findings of science to have any say whatsoever in the context of science that is taught in our schools.  I hope that enough ire will be raised on this issue that it will die faster than a bird mired in the toxic tailing ponds that surround the Fort McMurray landscape.