According to Britannica, the definition of democracy in a literate sense is “rule by the people.” The word democracy derives from the Greek dēmokratia, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) and serves as a descriptor for the Canadian political system municipally, provincially, and federally. Canadians enjoy the right to vote and are able to exercise democracy through their elected representatives.

The representative democracy we have in Canada does not, however, stop and start with voting day. It is incredibly important that citizens stay informed of the issues facing their country, province, and municipality on an ongoing basis. In addition, a vibrant democracy features citizens providing thoughtful feedback to their elected representatives about the policies and policies changes governments enact. We cannot take for granted our right to engage in democratic deliberation both on voting day and beyond; it takes effort and persistence to build brighter and fairer futures for all.

Now that an election has been called for May 29, the race to win votes will accelerate and political parties will move into high gear outlining their policy positions and making promises in the hopes that their candidates win seats, and their party is elected with enough numbers to form government.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association has worked to elevate public education to the forefront of the issues discussed during the election. For the past school year, the Stand for Education campaign has worked to engage community members in a meaningful conversation about what it would mean to create a hopeful future for children in public schools. In conjunction with the Alberta School Councils’ Association, the ATA held a rally in October to kick off the campaign and held round tables across the province both in person and virtually to articulate this vision. 

The third phase of the Stand for Education project is to take learnings from the rally and round tables to influence and advocate on behalf of Alberta students and public schools. This edition of The Learning Team is geared toward sharing with parents and community partners information from round tables as well as the policy positions of various parties to advance discussion of public education at town halls and campaign stops. Finally, we will highlight how students can learn about how to participate in democratic processes by way of the program offered by CIVIX: Student Vote.

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