A curriculum framework that calls on teachers to promote Alberta’s oil and gas industry to schoolchildren was quietly published months ago, to the surprise of education experts and the opposition.

The document was published online in April and includes a directive from Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides to teach K-12 students about “Alberta’s reputation as the most ethical producer of oil in the world,” and “the importance of natural resources in enabling and sustaining Alberta’s society and Albertans’ quality of life.”