For much of the past decade, the Association has enhanced its efforts to advance and promote the cause of Alberta's public education system. The Public Education Action Centre and ongoing programs to promote public education are examples of the Association's commitment to helping members and the general public understand the importance of public education in a free and democratic society. In 2000, Provincial Executive Council decided to commission a monograph on the history of public education in Alberta.
The last major history of public education in Alberta was also commissioned by the Association and served as its contribution to Canada's centennial in 1967. Schools of the Foothills Province: The Story of Public Education in Alberta, by John W Chalmers, has long been out of print but is widely available in libraries across Alberta. While this monograph is not intended to replace Chalmers's work, it does provide a brief overview of public education in Alberta to the present day. Like the 1967 book, the monograph is being distributed widely across the province.
The monograph helps to make clear the importance of Alberta's public education system and its substantial accomplishments. It also serves as a starting point for further research.
On behalf of the Association, I want to recognize and thank the author of the monograph, Dr Jerome F Ell, for his efforts. The Association's archivist, Lisa Maltby, spent many hours researching and acquiring the photographs. The project was supervised by Dr Gordon Thomas, associate executive secretary.
Charles Hyman
Executive Secretary
August 2002
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