The True Post (Web News)The Alberta government has introduced new legislation aimed at improving transparency and accountability across the province’s education system.
The proposed changes include establishing consistent report card standards for students, making activities conducted on teachers’ professional development days publicly accessible, and creating a formal process to address unresolved parental complaints.
The legislation, introduced as Bill 35, the Education and Child Care (Securing Parental Involvement) Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, is designed to give parents clearer and more reliable information about their children’s academic performance, school activities and decisions made by educational institutions.
Education Minister Says Parents Must Remain at the Centre of the Education System
Alberta’s Minister of Education and Child Care, Demetrios Nicolaides, said the government wants to put parents at the centre of the education system by providing clearer information, greater transparency and better opportunities for families to take an active role in their children’s education.
He said the proposed changes would help parents better understand their children’s academic progress, stay informed about school activities and increase their involvement in educational matters.
Province-Wide Standards Proposed for Student Report Cards
Under the proposed legislation, the Minister of Education would be given the authority to establish consistent standards for reporting student performance and academic progress across all schools in Alberta.
The objective is to ensure that parents, regardless of the city or school board their children attend, receive clear and consistent information about their children’s achievements and areas requiring improvement.
However, school boards would retain the authority to determine the format, layout and method of delivering report cards to parents according to their local education systems.
Schools to Disclose Activities on Teachers’ Professional Development Days
The proposed legislation would also require school authorities to publicly disclose details of activities taking place on professional development days and other non-instructional operational days.
These days are generally used for teacher training, educational planning and administrative or professional activities, rather than regular classroom instruction.
The government says making this information publicly available will help parents understand how schools use these days to improve teachers’ professional skills and support better student outcomes.
New Process Proposed for Addressing Unresolved Parental Complaints
Under Bill 35, school boards would be required to establish formal procedures for receiving and managing parental complaints and concerns that remain unresolved through existing school-level complaint processes.
Parents would continue to be expected to raise their concerns through school administrators and the relevant school board, while individual complaints would remain the responsibility of the respective school boards.
In addition, the Alberta government plans to develop an online tool to guide parents on where and how to raise their concerns.
The system would also help the government identify emerging and recurring education-related issues across the province.
Ministerial Approval Required for Naming or Renaming Schools
The proposed legislation also includes changes to the process of naming schools and changing existing school names.
Under the proposed amendments, public school boards would be required to obtain approval from the Minister of Education before initiating the process of naming a school building or changing its existing name.
Once approval is granted, school boards would retain the authority to make decisions through consultation and engagement with their local communities.
The amendment would also modify provisions introduced under 2026 legislation aimed at keeping politics and ideological influences out of classrooms and amending the Education Act.
Education Organizations and Parent Groups Welcome the Proposed Changes
Sandra Palazzo, Board Chair of Edmonton Catholic Schools, described the proposed changes as an important step towards strengthening relationships between families and educational institutions.
She said providing parents with timely information to support their children’s education is a fundamental responsibility of schools.
Megan Parézian, President of the Alberta School Councils Association, said the measures would promote clearer communication and greater trust between families and schools. She added that informed parents can become strong supporters of their schools and educational communities.
Tim Drierger, Board Chair of Fort Vermilion School Division, described Bill 35 as an important step towards making parental voices more effective within the education system.
He said the proposed changes would make information about students’ academic progress and school board procedures more accessible to families.
According to the Alberta government, the overall objective of the proposed legislation is to provide parents with better information about their children’s education, improve transparency in s
