FACT PAGE | Trans inclusion in Alberta schools
In Alberta, the public education system includes public, separate, and francophone schools. Parents may also choose alternate education options such as private schools, home schools, charter schools, and others. This page includes an overview of:
Expectations: Alberta Education
As of November 2015, Education Minister David Eggen has directed all school boards in Alberta--whether public, separate, francophone--to develop policies, regulations and procedures that "specifically address the board's responsibility as it relates to the LGBTQ community" (2015, November 5). Minister Eggen requires these materials to be provided to him by March 31, 2016.
To assist school boards in this process, Alberta Education has released a document called Guidelines for Best Practices: Creating Learning Environments that Respect Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Gender Expressions (2016). This document provides an overview of the relevant provincial legislation, as well as 12 best practises for school boards to develop inclusive policies, regulations and procedures.
Expecations: Teaching professsionals
Teachers in the public education system are governed by the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). In 2003, the ATA's Code of Professional Conduct was amended to include "gender identity". The Code requires that a "teacher teaches in a manner that respects the dignity and rights of all persons without prejudice as to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical characteristics, disability, marital status, family status, age, ancestry, place of origin, place of residence, socioeconomic background or linguistic background" (Section 1).
Expectations: Equality rights
Alberta has two laws governing human rights in Alberta. Both the Alberta Human Rights Act and the Alberta Bill of Rights explicitly enumerate both "gender identity" and "gender expression" as prohibited grounds for discrimination in Alberta. This means that a person in Alberta may not be discriminated against for either their gender identity or their gender expression. This also means that a person in Alberta may not be discriminated against for their perceived gender identity or gender expression.
- expectations of Alberta Education (ministry of education)
- expectations of teaching professionals
- expectations of equality rights, and
- a comprehensive listing of all school boards and their respective sexual and gender minority policies.
Expectations: Alberta Education
As of November 2015, Education Minister David Eggen has directed all school boards in Alberta--whether public, separate, francophone--to develop policies, regulations and procedures that "specifically address the board's responsibility as it relates to the LGBTQ community" (2015, November 5). Minister Eggen requires these materials to be provided to him by March 31, 2016.
To assist school boards in this process, Alberta Education has released a document called Guidelines for Best Practices: Creating Learning Environments that Respect Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Gender Expressions (2016). This document provides an overview of the relevant provincial legislation, as well as 12 best practises for school boards to develop inclusive policies, regulations and procedures.
Expecations: Teaching professsionals
Teachers in the public education system are governed by the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). In 2003, the ATA's Code of Professional Conduct was amended to include "gender identity". The Code requires that a "teacher teaches in a manner that respects the dignity and rights of all persons without prejudice as to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical characteristics, disability, marital status, family status, age, ancestry, place of origin, place of residence, socioeconomic background or linguistic background" (Section 1).
Expectations: Equality rights
Alberta has two laws governing human rights in Alberta. Both the Alberta Human Rights Act and the Alberta Bill of Rights explicitly enumerate both "gender identity" and "gender expression" as prohibited grounds for discrimination in Alberta. This means that a person in Alberta may not be discriminated against for either their gender identity or their gender expression. This also means that a person in Alberta may not be discriminated against for their perceived gender identity or gender expression.
Note: This resource does not constitute medical or legal advice. This fact page was last updated in January 2016.
Alberta school board LGBTQ-inclusion policies
Alberta's public education system includes public, separate, and francophone schools. The following table links to each school board in each of these three categories in alphabetical order, along with any known stand-alone sexual and gender minority inclusion policies. Such policies are expected to be available to the public. If you are aware of a policy available online that is not included in the list below, please email TESA.
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Public
Alberta has 42 public school boards.
-- public school boards --
-- continued -- Edmonton School District No. 7
Edmonton Policy -- HFA.BP: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Administrative Policy -- HFA.AR: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- public school boards --
-- continued -- Fort McMurray Public School District No. 2833
Fort McMurray Policy -- IB Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- public school boards --
-- continued -- -- public school boards --
-- continued -- -- public school boards --
-- continued -- -- public school boards --
-- continued -- Red Deer Public Schools
Red Deer Policy & Regulation -- 6.01.08: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- public school boards --
-- continued -- St. Albert Public School District No. 5565 [previously: St. Albert Protestant Separate Schools]
St. Albert Policy -- A-150: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- public school boards --
-- continued -- Wolf Creek School Division No. 72
Ponoka Policy -- Administrative Procedure 308 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- public school boards --
-- complete -- -- (42 boards) -- |
Separate
Alberta has 17 separate school boards.
-- separate school boards --
-- continued -- Greater St. Albert RCSSD No. 734 [previously: Greater St. Albert Catholic (Public) Regional]
St. Albert Policy -- ? -- separate school boards --
-- continued -- -- separate school boards --
-- continued -- -- separate school boards --
-- complete -- -- (17 boards) -- |
Francophone
Alberta has 4 francophone school boards.
-- francophone school boards --
-- complete -- -- (4 boards) -- |
Early adopters of inclusive school policies in Alberta
Some Alberta school boards were early-adopters of sexual and gender minority policies. School board policies may offer additional explicit protection to staff as well as families, in addition to the expectations for teachers already enumerated by the ATA. More details regarding these boards and their policies are available below, listed in order of adoption.
Edmonton Public School Board
2011 -- Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) was the first school board in Alberta to create an explicit sexual and gender minority inclusion policy. The policy was passed on November 29, 2011. The policy states that it is applicable to "all members of the school community" including "students, staff, and families who identify or are perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, queer or questioning their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." The administrative policy states that "School staff are expected to ensure a welcoming, supportive environment for all sexual minority staff, students and families." Links to these policies are found in the table above.
2011 -- Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) was the first school board in Alberta to create an explicit sexual and gender minority inclusion policy. The policy was passed on November 29, 2011. The policy states that it is applicable to "all members of the school community" including "students, staff, and families who identify or are perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, queer or questioning their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." The administrative policy states that "School staff are expected to ensure a welcoming, supportive environment for all sexual minority staff, students and families." Links to these policies are found in the table above.
St. Albert Public Schools (formerly St. Albert Protestant Separate Schools)
2013 -- St. Albert Public Schools--formerly St. Albert Protestant Separate Schools--was the second school board in Alberta to create an explicit sexual and gender minority inclusion policy. The policy was adopted on June 26, 2013. The policy "includes those students, staff, and families who identify or are perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, queer or questioning their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." The policy states that "The Board expects that all sexual and gender minority students, staff families and same sex parented families be fully included and represented in an inclusive, positive and respectful manner by all school personnel ...." A link to this policy is found in the table above.
2013 -- St. Albert Public Schools--formerly St. Albert Protestant Separate Schools--was the second school board in Alberta to create an explicit sexual and gender minority inclusion policy. The policy was adopted on June 26, 2013. The policy "includes those students, staff, and families who identify or are perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, queer or questioning their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." The policy states that "The Board expects that all sexual and gender minority students, staff families and same sex parented families be fully included and represented in an inclusive, positive and respectful manner by all school personnel ...." A link to this policy is found in the table above.
Wolf Creek Public Schools
2014 -- Wolf Creek Public Schools serves families north of Red Deer, with the Division office located in Ponoka. Wolf Creek Public Schools' adopted a policy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in May 2014. The policy states that their "division is dedicated to ensuring that we collectively provide a welcoming, supportive environment for all sexual minority staff, students and families." A link to this policy is found in the table above.
2014 -- Wolf Creek Public Schools serves families north of Red Deer, with the Division office located in Ponoka. Wolf Creek Public Schools' adopted a policy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in May 2014. The policy states that their "division is dedicated to ensuring that we collectively provide a welcoming, supportive environment for all sexual minority staff, students and families." A link to this policy is found in the table above.
Fort McMurray Public Schools
2015 -- Fort McMurray Public Schools' policy applies to "students, staff and family." The policy was adopted on June 17, 2015. A link to this policy is found in the table above.
2015 -- Fort McMurray Public Schools' policy applies to "students, staff and family." The policy was adopted on June 17, 2015. A link to this policy is found in the table above.
Red Deer Public Schools
2015 -- Red Deer Public Schools approved their 16-point policy on December 9, 2015. A link to this policy is found in the table above.
2015 -- Red Deer Public Schools approved their 16-point policy on December 9, 2015. A link to this policy is found in the table above.
Other
Alberta Distance Learning Centre
The Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) serves "1 in 3 schools" and "1 in 11 students" throughout the province through a variety of distance-learning opportunities including both print-based and online-based courses. The ADLC affirms that their "counsellors, as members of Alberta Teachers' Association, assist gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-identified, intersex, two-spirited, queer, and questioning youth develop educational plans that meet their life goals." The ADLC resource page contains many links to resources of interest to sexual and gender minorities:
Resource -- Academic Advising: Sexual Minority Students
The Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) serves "1 in 3 schools" and "1 in 11 students" throughout the province through a variety of distance-learning opportunities including both print-based and online-based courses. The ADLC affirms that their "counsellors, as members of Alberta Teachers' Association, assist gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-identified, intersex, two-spirited, queer, and questioning youth develop educational plans that meet their life goals." The ADLC resource page contains many links to resources of interest to sexual and gender minorities:
Resource -- Academic Advising: Sexual Minority Students
Please also see TESA's:
-- links regarding education resources
-- links regarding information about trans and transitioning
-- links regarding information about two spirit
-- links regarding information about non-binary
-- fact page regarding trans rights across Canada
-- links regarding education resources
-- links regarding information about trans and transitioning
-- links regarding information about two spirit
-- links regarding information about non-binary
-- fact page regarding trans rights across Canada
NOTE: This resource was last updated in January 2016. Please contact your local school board for the most up-to-date information.
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