Alberta was once a beacon of exemplary education, in our delivery and outcomes, our students excelled.

Today, Albertan parents are in shock, hearing that 40 per cent of Grade Nine students in Alberta failed their provincial achievement tests.  

Our education system is failing students. 

Years ago, Alberta’s results in the trends in International Mathematics and Science Study outperformed other Canadian provinces and were on par with the jurisdictions around the world.

But now, if the current trends continue through high school, then 20,000 of these current grade nine students — two out of five — will lack the basic competencies needed to enter the workforce in a meaningful capacity.  

Who is to blame? Sure, the original culprit — Jeff Johnson, Alison Redford’s Minister of Education — is an easy target, but who is the greater fool? The fool, or the fools who follow him?

The successive Ministers of Education, Gordon Dirks and David Eggen, are more to blame for not dumping Johnson's "discovery math," especially after they have seen these outcomes.

What has clearly compounded the issue is the NDP’s obsessive focus on everything that is not related to core education in our schools. Why have GSA’s dominated the provincial education conversation for the past half-decade? It seems as though Minister Eggen will do whatever he can to shift the conversation away from his disastrous record of attacking religious schools and free-falling report card grades.

Every school year that passes, every day, every class, Alberta students are falling behind. This cannot wait for the next election.

We need a Minister of Education whose sole focus is giving students the tools to learn, grow, and succeed. 

If you agree that Minister Eggen needs to go, then please sign the petition below. 

But that's not all. We also want to fund a billboard in Edmonton calling on Premier Notley to remove David Eggen from his ministerial position. Please help us cover that expense by donating. I want to tell Notley that this is important, and can't wait. And having a billboard as a constant reminder would do exactly that.