Minister of Education & Childcare's year-end message

Dear parents,

Congratulations on reaching the end of another successful school year! As a father of five, I know how exciting this time of year can be. Before we say goodbye for the summer, I want to take a moment to offer a sincere “thank you” to the parents, guardians, and loved ones who have supported students over the past year. From volunteering with your local school board, to helping your children study for a big test, to packing an endless number of school lunches, we couldn’t have done it without you! It is because of your tireless work as parents that your children are set up for success at school.

The 2024/25 school year marked many successes and advancements in Alberta’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system:

• Alberta’s government made a generational investment of $8.6 billion over seven years to build 100 new schools and create more than 200,000 new student spaces. This spring, 41 new school projects were announced in Budget 2025.
• We introduced literacy and numeracy screeners for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3. These screeners help identify students who need help building early reading or math skills, so they can get additional support.
• Our junior and senior high students made Alberta proud when the final 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores were released in early 2025. Alberta students ranked first in Canada in science, reading, creative thinking and financial literacy, and second in math. Globally, Alberta ranked first in financial literacy, and second in science, creative thinking, and reading. These scores reflect the hard work of our students and teachers and demonstrate the world-class education students receive in Alberta. Congratulations to all our students and teachers!
• We took smart watches off desks and cellphones out of classrooms when we limited the use of personal mobile devices in schools. School boards report students have been more focused and engaged in class with their devices out of reach. Thank you, parents, for supporting this change and helping your children set good boundaries for cellphone use at school.

Nothing is more important than our children and working alongside you to support their educational journey continues to be a great honour. I am proud to serve Albertans as Minister of Education and Childcare, and I look forward to accomplishing even more together next school year.

Thank you again, and I wish you all the best over the summer break!

Sincerely,

Demetrios Nicolaides
Minister of Education and Childcare