Kenney slams school’s Social Studies banner

RED DEER, ALTA. •Ahigh school in central Alberta is going to review how it teaches politics to students after United Conservative Party leadership candidate Jason Kenney criticized a social studies banner.

Kenney says the banner at Hunting Hills in Red Deer teaches students “a distorted and biased version” of politics in Canada and Alberta.

He says the Social Studies teaching aid shows Conservatives are closer to fascism than the centre, while Liberals are presented as right wing and the Green Party occupies the centre of the political spectrum.

Kenney says the NDP wants to “make a bad situation much worse by introducing more politics into the classroom.”

Hunting Hills principal Darwin Roscoe says the banner was created by Social Studies teachers at the school five years ago.

Roscoe says Social Studies 30 teaches the origins and complexities of ideologies and students investigate, analyze and evaluate government policies and actions.

He says staff will look at making changes to the banner which he says best reflect the constantly changing political spectrum.

“Developing a comprehensive understanding of competing ideologies is important in the growth of students as informed and responsible citizens,” Roscoe said in a statement to RD News Now.

Kenney said that “this is just another example of how politics in the classroom is a lose-lose situation for students and teachers.”

“Now, no matter where you sit on the political spectrum, we should all be concerned that students are being taught a completely distorted and biased version of Canada and Alberta’s political spectrum.

"If you agree that we need to kick politics out of the classroom and get back to giving kids the skills they need to succeed in life, then become a member of the United Conservative Party, so that you can support Jason Kenney in the upcoming leadership race.”