By Chris Kennedy
This article was first published on Chris Kennedy’s blog, Culture of Yes, on April 7, 2025, and is republished here with permission.
There’s a moment right now—an opening that Canada, and more specifically Canadian education, has an opportunity to seize.
As we watch political discourse in the United States grow increasingly polarized, with education often pulled backwards into culture wars and ideology-driven mandates, it’s hard not to reflect on the different tone we can set here in Canada. While we certainly have our challenges, we also have the chance to chart a distinctly Canadian path forward—especially when it comes to preparing our young people for the future they are entering.
To do this well, we must also recognize that any national conversation about education in Canada must begin with a commitment to truth, reconciliation, and partnership with Indigenous communities. Indigenous education—led by Indigenous voices—is not a “strand” of our system; it is foundational to the work of designing what comes next. It is through authentic collaboration that we can build a future that is not only innovative but also rooted in respect, reciprocity, and relationality.
And make no mistake: that future is arriving fast.
We are entering a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, shifting geopolitics, a changing climate and a labour market that demands not just knowledge, but adaptability, creativity and collaboration. For Canada to thrive, our education systems must evolve with intention—not reactively, but purposefully, and with our eyes wide open.
This isn’t about throwing out the basics. Literacy and numeracy are, and must remain, foundational. But how we teach them, and what we wrap around them, needs to shift. It’s not enough to equip students with the skills of the past. We need to prepare them to navigate complexity, to make ethical decisions in a data-driven world, and to work alongside technologies that didn’t exist when their own teachers graduated.
And here’s where the opportunity comes in.
We are also approaching a federal election—an event that always brings reflection, but this time, it feels different. Whomever forms the next government will inherit a country in need of fresh thinking about what unites us. Amid global uncertainty and domestic division, education can be a powerful force for cohesion. It can connect the regions, bridge generations, and build the kind of future we all want to live in.
Canada has long held that education is a provincial responsibility—and for good reason. Local control supports responsiveness, cultural relevance, and innovation at the grassroots. But maybe now is the time to consider how we add a layer of national vision—not control, but coherence. A Canadian strategy for educational innovation that aligns our strengths, helps us scale what works and positions us not just as followers of global trends, but as leaders.
Some may rightfully question whether a national approach risks undermining provincial jurisdiction or local responsiveness. This is a valid concern that deserves thoughtful consideration. The vision here is not about imposing federal standards or centralizing decision-making. It is about creating connective tissue between existing initiatives, facilitating knowledge sharing and identifying shared priorities where collective action makes sense. In a world where AI and technology are transforming education everywhere, we can maintain our provincial distinctiveness while also learning from each other’s successes and challenges.
Right now, every provincial ministry of education is grappling with similar questions about AI in classrooms. How do we teach students to work alongside AI tools? What ethical frameworks should guide AI use? How do we prepare young Canadians for a job market transformed by automation and for careers that don’t even exist yet? These shared challenges call for shared solutions.
A coordinated Canadian approach to AI education could become our international differentiator—setting us apart from the fractured approaches seen in the United States and elsewhere. We could develop a distinctly Canadian AI education model that balances innovation with equity, technological advancement with human values and economic opportunity with ethical responsibility. This isn’t just about educational coherence; it’s about economic competitiveness and social unity in a rapidly changing world.
Imagine a national commitment to AI literacy and digital citizenship that becomes our educational signature globally. A collaborative approach to education that honours Indigenous knowledge alongside scientific understanding. A shared investment in modernizing curriculum and assessment—not to standardize, but to reimagine and humanize.
We have done it before. From peacekeeping to public healthcare, Canada has often been at its best when we have looked forward with bold humility and quiet confidence.
There is nothing more future-focused than education. If we get it right—rooted in the Canadian values of inclusion, equity, innovation and reconciliation—we give our young people the tools not just to survive what is coming, but to shape it.
Let’s not wait for someone else to show us the way. Let’s lead — together.
The image at the top of this post was generated through AI. Various AI tools were used as feedback helpers (for our students this post would be a Yellow assignment – see link to explanation chart) as I edited and refined my thinking.
Chris Kennedy is the Superintendent of Schools / CEO with the West Vancouver School District (West Vancouver, BC). He has taught secondary English and Social Studies, and been both an elementary and secondary school principal. He was appointed to the superintendency in October of 2009.
One of the most progressive voices in BC education, Chris has been featured by Macleans Magazine and his work has been profiled in various local and national publications. In 2010 he was named one of the Top 10 Canadian Newsmakers in Educational Technology , in 2011 Business in Vancouver named him to their top Forty under 40 list, in 2012 Chris was named Canada’s Top Education Blogger and in 2016 Kennedy was named Canada’s Educational Technology K-12 Leader of the Year. He completed his Doctorate in Education at the University of Kansas in 2021. In 2023 BC School Sports recognized Chris with its Citation of Excellence Award and Mindshare Learning named him as one of the Top 23 Newsmakers of the Year in Learning and Technology.
Kennedy is a writer and presenter on personalized learning and infusing technology in the classroom. Chris balances his professional passions with life as the father of four children. You can also follow Chris on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/chrkennedy