CBC News has reported on leaked documents that outline advice obtained from the Government of Alberta's handpicked curriculum advisors, including the controversial Chris Champion.

The recommendations are being described as regressive, inappropriate and racist. Education experts say that the recommendations are contrary to research on curriculum and pedagogy and would put Alberta out of step with most of North America.

"It would be a laughingstock."

"I would say it would be a laughingstock," said Prof. Keith Barton, a specialist in social studies curriculum and instruction at Indiana University in Bloomington.

"To say that second-graders are going to be learning about ancient China and ancient Rome, or in geography, that they're just going to be learning the names of capitals—nobody does this."

Among other things, the recommendations call for eliminating all references to residential schools and equity, and advocate for more memorization of facts related to ancient history. The prior drafts of curriculum, developed by hundreds of teachers with input from thousands of Albertans, focused on understanding multiple perspectives and included age-appropriate understandings of the history of colonization in Canada, including residential schools.

“Teachers are experts in curriculum; they understand the readiness of young students for different pieces of content and they understand what it means to bring curriculum to life in the classroom. I am calling for the minister to unequivocally reject these proposals and to immediately bring teachers back to the table on curriculum development.”

—ATA President Jason Schilling

Read more from the original CBC story, Education experts slam leaked Alberta curriculum proposals.