Alberta revises school book ban policy to focus on sexual images

The change comes after Edmonton’s public school board put together a list of more than 200 titles it was going to take out of schools, including classics like Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” to comply with the initial ministerial order written in July.

Banning classics in Alberta brought worldwide attention, and even led Atwood herself to mock Premier Danielle Smith and her government by crafting a short story about a boy and girl who lived happily ever after practising rapacious capitalism while having kids without having sex.

Amanda Chapman, Alberta’s New Democrat Shadow Minister for Education, says the government refuses to admit when they’ve made a mistake and are instead, doubling down on their book ban.

“These changes increase confusion for parents, schools and teachers when the issue of age-appropriate books was already being dealt with,” she explains in a statement released Monday. “Nothing today addresses the additional burden placed on teachers and school staff to catalogue books that contravene the UCP government’s gaslighting ministerial order. Instead of ensuring everybody understands only age-appropriate books are in schools, now the government is pitting parents against schools just because someone doesn’t like a book.”

“What happens if parents disagree over whether a book is appropriate for their kids?” the statement continues. “It’s just more chaos and confusion.”

“All of this ignores the bigger picture. Alberta students are funded at the lowest level in Canada, classrooms are bursting at the seams, and teachers and families are facing immense uncertainty because of this government’s neglect of public education,” the statement goes on to say.

“The UCP government needs to prioritize Alberta students, focus on averting a teachers’ strike and properly fund our schools.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

by The Canadian Press

Alberta revises school book ban policy to focus on sexual images

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