A scandal occurred at Dr. Anne Anderson High School in Edmonton.
The Güvenç family was incredibly shocked when they saw the subject of an assignment given to their 12th grade daughter by her teacher and the name of Atatürk when they came home from school last weekend.
The Güvenç couple, who thought it was a positive assignment when their daughter, who could not understand the nature of the assignment, happily approached them and said to her parents, “Look, I will tell about Atatürk in the school and everyone will know Atatürk,” were shocked when they saw the title of the assignment.
The title of the assignment was: ‘Choose a Dictator!’
And next to names like Idi Amin, Benito Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, Augusto Pinochet, Slobodan Milosevic, Omar El-Bashir (by the way, Adolf Hitler’s name is not on this list), there was the name Mustafa Atatürk.
When we reached the Güvenç couple by phone, they said they are still in shock, while the mother Nazan Güvenç said, “When my daughter came and explained it, she didn’t realize the title of the assignment. When we asked what it was about, we were surprised when we saw that the Great Leader Atatürk was on the list and the title was ‘Choose a Dictator!’ My husband called the school immediately and asked for an appointment with the principal; and we wanted to meet with him to see how such a scandal could happen.”
Nazan and Ramazan Güvenç say that when they went to the meeting, Principal Daniel Card did apparently some research, and that he had probably also spoken to teacher Darryl Macgregor and tried to calm them down.
Nazan Güvenç told us on the phone that she and her husband told the principal who Atatürk was, and that Canada and Türkiye had very good relations, that Atatürk established a progressive and democratic regime in modern Türkiye and that a monument was opened in his name in Halifax for his contributions to world peace, and that such a scandal was unacceptable.
The Güvenç couple, who stated that they wanted Atatürk’s name to be removed from this list, also emphasized that they stated that the school and the teacher should apologize.
Turkish community took action
The incident, which caused great anger and reaction in the Canadian Turkish community, led community members to open a petition to show their reaction.
The following views were summarized in the signature text:
“We, members of the Turkish-Canadian community and allies, are calling on Edmonton Public Schools and Dr. Anne Anderson High School to issue an immediate correction and take meaningful action regarding a serious misrepresentation in the classroom.
In a recent Social Studies lesson at Dr. Anne Anderson High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk—the internationally respected founder of the Republic of Turkey—was labeled a dictator in a unit on authoritarian regimes. This classification is historically inaccurate, culturally insensitive, and damaging to the integrity of Alberta’s education system.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is widely recognized as a visionary leader who led Turkey through a transformative period of democratic reform, modernization, and secularization. He promoted education, women’s rights, freedom of thought, and civic development. His legacy is not one of dictatorship, and Alberta’s official curriculum does not classify him as such.
Apology and Correction Requested
We are asking for the following immediate actions:
A formal public correction and apology issued by Dr. Anne Anderson High School regarding the misrepresentation.
A curriculum review to ensure historical accuracy in all Social Studies materials.
Mandatory cultural competency and anti-bias training for teaching staff.
Dialogue and engagement with the Turkish-Canadian community in Edmonton and across Alberta to ensure proper representation in education.
This is not just about one figure—it’s about truth, fairness, and respect in our classrooms. Our education system must be rooted in facts and committed to honoring the diverse cultural identities of Alberta’s students.”
Dr. Anne Anderson High School Principal Daniel Card and Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides chose not to respond to our questions.
For the petition: https://chng.it/tkZRrHCvcB
Bizim Anadolu / April 17, 2025
