In a campaign announcement, the Alberta NDP said it will ensure K-12 and post-secondary exams are scheduled away from important cultural and religious holidays, if elected this spring.
The NDP said it will work collaboratively with school divisions to make sure their local calendars avoid these days. It will also consult with the business community to see how workers could swap current stat holidays for different days.
“In this coming school year, the province mandates school divisions to conduct their September Student Count on September 25, which is also Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar,” said Sarah Hoffman, deputy leader and candidate for Edmonton-Glenora.
“This is important to know how many students are in each school division but students who observe Yom Kippur and spend the day with their families won’t be counted.”
David Eggen, Alberta NDP Advanced Education Critic and candidate for Edmonton-North West, said many post-secondary schools already make arrangements to accommodate students writing exams while observing important religious holidays.
“We want to make that the standard,” Eggen said. “Students observing Eid, for example, should not be required to write a critically important final exam at the same time. That isn’t right, so we’ll fix that.
Gurinder Brar, a local small business owner and the Alberta NDP candidate for Calgary-North East, credited many in the business community for already supporting their employees as they observe important religious holidays.
“We see this as a partnership,” he said. “We will begin consultation with the business community to see what other opportunities exist for workers to swap statutory holidays for different days. Ultimately, employees would work the same number of days but could potentially be granted some flexibility on which days they take off from work to observe important religious occasions.
Omar Yaqub, Servant of Servants with Islamic Family and Social Services, said he supports the commitments.
“Inclusive holidays are an important part of the cross-cultural learning we need to succeed in a global market and for meaningfully advancing student belonging,” Yaqub said. “It's a sensible solution.
Dr. Ed Tse also endorsed the announcement.
“The Lunar New Year is a time for Asian families to come together and celebrate our heritage,” he said. “As a Calgary-born Chinese parent we use the Lunar New Year to ensure that our cultural traditions continue to the next generation. We teach them the importance of respecting their elders, the significance of red envelopes, and the symbolism behind various foods and decorations.
