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You can help reach more Albertans with a contribution of as little as $5. Any amount you can afford would be gratefully accepted.
You can help Team Nenshi reach more Albertans with a contribution of as little as $5. Any amount you can afford would be gratefully accepted.
Families who want to speak the Filipino language at home will have help from Alberta schools, thanks to the creation of K-12 Filipino language and culture program.
Rachel Notley announced plans for the new curriculum at a meeting with Filipino leaders last week in Calgary.
“It’s such an honour to celebrate Alberta’s Filipino community this way,” Notley said. “Filipino people have brought essential skills to our workforce, while adding so much to our communities.”
Notley stands up against racism
There are more than 170,000 people of Filipino heritage in Alberta, the second largest Filipino community in Canada. It is the fastest growing ethno-cultural community in the province.
Notley has spearheaded efforts to acknowledge and celebrate the Filipino community, meeting with community leaders to determine how Alberta could be more welcoming.
Last year, Notley declared every June the Philippine Heritage Month, the first province in Canada to recognize the contributions and future of the Filipino community. In 2017, she launched anti-racism conversations and the creation of an anti-racism strategy, supporting community organizations working to fight racism.
Notley has spearheaded efforts to acknowledge and celebrate the Filipino community, meeting with community leaders to determine how Alberta could be more welcoming.
Filipino language skills are already available in several schools across the province. Since more than one in 10 people in Alberta reported Tagalog as the first language in the 2016 census, curriculum is widely considered one of the best ways to encourage the transmission, growth and celebration of Filipino culture.
The new language curriculum will be available in the 2020-21 school year at participating schools, helping young Albertans connect with family and loved ones.
Alberta government to offer Filipino language and culture curriculum by 2020
Read more on calgarysun.comNotley has made strides in making Alberta a more welcoming place. She is heading into a spring election with an opponent with a mixed track record in the community.
In his former role as federal immigration minister, Jason Kenney mastered the art of the photo op while cutting healthcare for refugees. Declaring himself “the minister of curry in a hurry,” he defended his party’s barbaric cultural practices hotline and heckled an opposition member by saying he needed an “English to English” translation.
Kenney’s changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program hit many Filipinos in Alberta particularly hard, making it legal for employers to pay workers below market wages. He also made it more difficult for workers to apply for permanent residency.
Notley is clear that Alberta must remain a welcoming place where language and culture is considered a strength, and where all people make a living wage.
“Alberta is a far better place thanks to the amazing contributions of Filipinos and other newcomers,” Notley said. “We need to help families grow deep roots and keep adding to our social fabric."
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