Another week, another political candidate caught making inappropriate and offensive statement from their past, in large part, due to social media.
One of the latest being NDP candidate for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, Alex Johnstone.
In 2008, Johnstone made an off-colour penis joke on her friend’s Facebook page underneath a friend’s picture of a concrete fence post at the reconstructed Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.
The comment was found, by True North Times, a satirical website, as part of “The Nine Days of Scandal,” their nine-day rollout of questionable social media posts from federal candidates.
She said, although she had heard about Nazi concentration camps, she hadn’t known until her post had been made public, what Auschwitz was.
Admittedly, that is hard to believe from an educated social worker who is know the vice-chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
However, let’s give Johnstone a benefit of the doubt and use the opportunity to improve the education system to make sure this kind excuse cannot be used again.
After doing a quick, informal poll of the Barrhead Leader newsroom, the reporters, of course knew about the holocaust and the Auschwitz-Birkeanu death camp, but could not specifically remember, when in their Kindergarten through Grade 12 education the topic was covered.
In most Canadian provinces and territories World War II is covered in the Grades 9 through 12 social studies curriculum, but if you are to take Johnstone at her word, it is clear more work needs to be done.
Currently, the Alberta government is in the mid to late stages of a process that will see the province overhaul the Kindergarten through Grade 12 curriculum in every course. The process started in 2009 when then, Alison Redford led Progressive Conservative government released Inspiring Education, a document which outlines Alberta Education’s vision for students.
The idea behind curriculum redesign is to teach students how to find relevant information and to narrow curriculum down to areas that will help students be successful in the future. By narrowing down the curriculum to core areas, it will give teachers the time and flexibility to take advantage of educational opportunities that come up in the classroom as part of class discussion.
However, while Alberta Education is taking this opportunity to take a second look at what students will be studying for years to come, let’s take the opportunity to ensure certain items are cemented in the curriculum. Things like World War II, the holocaust and Auschwitz-Birkeanu, so that others will never be able to use Johnstone’s excuse again.
