Alberta’s Education Act

The Education Amendment Act, 2024 (formerly Bill 27) received Royal Assent on December 5, 2024. The Education Amendment Act, 2024, amends the Education Act (formerly the School Act), which specifies goals for Alberta’s Early Childhood Services to Grade 12 (ECS-12) education system and identified the roles and responsiblities of the Ministry, school boards, charter schools, private schools, teachers, parents and students. 

Amendments to section of the Education Act involving gender identity, sexual orientation and human sexuality are anticipated to come into effect on September 1, 2025, upon proclamation. See Supporting Alberta students and families from the Government of Alberta for more information.

Alberta’s Education Act came into effect on September 1, 2019, and sets out responsibilities of all education partners to ensure welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments. Section 58.1(1) of the Education Act, as it currently exists, requires that parents be notified when providing instruction and includes subject-matter that deals primarily and explicitly with human sexuality. The Education Amendment Act, 2024 would remove “human sexuality” from section 58.1(1) of the Education Act, and would add an entirely new section to the Education Act (being section 58.11) that deals with notifications to parents when providing instruction that includes subject-matter that deals primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality. Generally, this proposed amendment would require school authorities to notify parents and provide the opportunity to opt their child in, rather than opt-out, where courses, programs of study or instructional materials, instruction, or exercises include subject matter that deals primarily and explicitly with gender identity, sexual orientation or human sexuality.

For more information, go to Notifying Parents.