Attacks on K-6 curriculum are partisan Your Feedback Yes By Letter to the Editor on April 14, 2021. The ferocity of attacks against the Alberta K-6 curriculum is due partly to their partisan nature. The critics are largely connected to the previous NDP government: with that government out of office, they – including the ATA as a whole – were locked out of the curriculum development process. They could be expected to say that the grapes are sour. Underlying this, however, is a polarised debate between skills-based and knowledge-based curricula. This curriculum entirely takes the side of knowledge-based learning. It applies phonics in Language arts (as opposed to the “whole language” approach), removes any reference to “Discovery Math,” includes concrete household budgeting, and even talks about Charlemagne in Social Studies. For skills-aligned theorists, the curriculum represents a staggering defeat.