Dr. Lyle Oberg - Minister of Learning (Province of Alberta, Canada)

Dr. Lyle Oberg has always valued and embraced education. This passion for learning was evident in his personal pursuit of higher education, and resulted in his graduating from the University of Alberta in 1983 as a Medical Doctor.

While enjoying his career as a family doctor, Dr. Oberg also supported his community by serving as a school board trustee, helping to guide local education issues.

Dr. Oberg’s role in public service continued when he was elected to Alberta’s Legislative Assembly in 1993. He served as Minister of Family and Social Services from 1997 to 1999, and was then appointed to his current position as Minister of Learning.

In the time Dr. Oberg has been the Minister, Alberta’s learning system has evolved into a more integrated education system with stronger links between the grade-school and post-secondary sectors. His focus on continuous improvement is directed at both the learning system and the learner, and is reflected in a variety of ministry initiatives that support these goals.

Under Dr. Oberg’s direction, Alberta’s Commission on Learning was established to conduct an extensive public consultation and review of Alberta’s basic learning system.  As a result, a new chapter in Alberta’s basic learning system has begun, ensuring a sustainable Kindergarten to Grade 12 system that fosters the desire for lifelong learning and supports the needs of all students. With the recent proclamation of landmark legislation governing Alberta’s universities and colleges, the Post-secondary Learning Act has set the stage for taking the province’s post-secondary system into the future, providing better access, flexibility and responsiveness for Alberta students regardless of where they choose to learn. 

Dr. Oberg believes that innovation is key to ensuring Alberta’s learning system continues to be one of the best in the world. Alberta is already a leader in online learning, and soon every learner across the province will have access to the latest in learning technology though SuperNet, a high-speed broadband service that will connect every hospital, learning institution, library and provincial government facility in the province.

Another key component in the success of Alberta’s education system is standardized testing. Dr. Oberg is a strong supporter of standardized testing, and Alberta students continue to perform exceptionally well on these tests provincially, nationally and internationally.

At this conference, Dr. Oberg looks forward to sharing some of the accomplishments and challenges that have directed and shaped Alberta's education system into the successful system it is today.