Latest news with #Nicolaides
Edmonton Journal
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Alberta's school library book ban an effective distraction
Article content Alberta's Education minister, Demetrios Nicolaides, has announced standards for determining what age-appropriate books will appear in school libraries. Students in any grade will not be able to see materials showing explicit sexual content, defined by the province as detailed and clear depictions of sexual acts, including masturbation, penetration and ejaculation. Article content Article content Article content Article content Minister Nicolaides has said no books are being banned and denies that the new policy amounts to censorship. Many critics disagree. Article content The minister's announcement has been greeted by astonishment and anger, but also hilarity. Online comments note that students nowadays are almost allergic to books but that the materials being banned can be found in huge dollops on the Internet — a source of which students are very much acquainted. Article content Article content Beyond the seeming absurdity of trying to censor the multiverse, the UCP's ham-handed efforts have raised several serious questions. To begin, it should be noted that this entire firestorm began when a fringe group of social conservatives found four — yes, four — coming-of-age graphic novels in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. Article content In past years, local school boards and school librarians could have dealt with the issue. But the government has been kneecapping school boards while denying funding for the hiring of librarians. In many schools, librarians are now on the endangered species list. Article content The entire affair seems akin to using a sledgehammer to swat a fly when, with a little bit of common sense and funding, school librarians could have done the swatting. Article content But it has also not gone unnoticed that the four banned books focus on issues particularly relevant to members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Critics contend the government is ramping up the culture wars to placate social conservative groups who, it must be remembered, lit the fire in the first place.
Hamilton Spectator
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Pornography is a problem': Smith defends new rules for Alberta school libraries
Alberta's premier says 'pornography is a problem for young adults' in remarks defending her government's move to remove sexually explicit content from school library shelves this fall. Danielle Smith was responding to criticism received via text on her provincewide phone-in radio program on Saturday that a lack of education funding and overcrowded classrooms were more important issues than library content. Smith replied it's important the province make sure young children are exposed to age-appropriate material, and that they're 'not exposed to pornographic images early.' On Thursday, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said sexually explicit content must be gone from school library shelves as of Oct. 1, but noted the move is not about book banning. The new policy stems from an announcement Nicolaides made in May after he said four inappropriate coming-of-age graphic novels were found in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. Smith encouraged people to go online themselves and view explicit images from the books, telling listeners they'll be scratching their heads wondering how they got into elementary schools in the first place. 'If I am not permitted to describe to you the kind of images that seven-year-olds are seeing because it would offend your audience, then we shouldn't be showing them to seven-year-olds,' Smith said. 'So yeah, I think it's important that we make sure that young children are exposed to age-appropriate material only and that they're not exposed to pornographic images early.' On the question of priorities, Smith said her government is holding consultations with the public and teachers about other issues in schools, such as violence in the classroom. 'That is the biggest issue that we've been hearing from teachers, that in some situations, violent students are making life unsafe for our teachers,' Smith said. The novels in question are written by American authors: 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe, 'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel, 'Blankets' by Craig Thompson and 'Flamer' by Mike Curato. When Nicolaides announced plans for new rules back in May, Smith posted on social media that 'parents are right to be upset.' As part of the announcement Thursday, Nicolaides issued a list of specific sex acts that can't be explicitly described in library books alongside new rules for what students can read. No students will be allowed to access what the government calls explicit sexual content, including detailed depictions of masturbation, sexual penetration or sexual physical contact. By Jan. 1, new school board policies must be in place dictating how books are selected and reviewed. An online government survey before Thursday's announcement found that the majority of respondents across demographics don't support the government setting new standards for school library books. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said in a statement the new rules will add to teachers' workload, politicize a 'non-issue' and target vulnerable students. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Pornography is a problem': Smith defends new rules for Alberta school libraries
Alberta's premier says 'pornography is a problem for young adults' in remarks defending her government's move to remove sexually explicit content from school library shelves this fall. Danielle Smith was responding to criticism received via text on her provincewide phone-in radio program on Saturday that a lack of education funding and overcrowded classrooms were more important issues than library content. Smith replied it's important the province make sure young children are exposed to age-appropriate material, and that they're 'not exposed to pornographic images early.' On Thursday, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said sexually explicit content must be gone from school library shelves as of Oct. 1, but noted the move is not about book banning. The new policy stems from an announcement Nicolaides made in May after he said four inappropriate coming-of-age graphic novels were found in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. Smith encouraged people to go online themselves and view explicit images from the books, telling listeners they'll be scratching their heads wondering how they got into elementary schools in the first place. 'If I am not permitted to describe to you the kind of images that seven-year-olds are seeing because it would offend your audience, then we shouldn't be showing them to seven-year-olds,' Smith said. 'So yeah, I think it's important that we make sure that young children are exposed to age-appropriate material only and that they're not exposed to pornographic images early.' On the question of priorities, Smith said her government is holding consultations with the public and teachers about other issues in schools, such as violence in the classroom. 'That is the biggest issue that we've been hearing from teachers, that in some situations, violent students are making life unsafe for our teachers,' Smith said. The novels in question are written by American authors: 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe, 'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel, 'Blankets' by Craig Thompson and 'Flamer' by Mike Curato. When Nicolaides announced plans for new rules back in May, Smith posted on social media that 'parents are right to be upset.' As part of the announcement Thursday, Nicolaides issued a list of specific sex acts that can't be explicitly described in library books alongside new rules for what students can read. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. No students will be allowed to access what the government calls explicit sexual content, including detailed depictions of masturbation, sexual penetration or sexual physical contact. By Jan. 1, new school board policies must be in place dictating how books are selected and reviewed. An online government survey before Thursday's announcement found that the majority of respondents across demographics don't support the government setting new standards for school library books. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said in a statement the new rules will add to teachers' workload, politicize a 'non-issue' and target vulnerable students. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Alberta government orders removal of sexually explicit books from school libraries
Alberta's government has introduced new province-wide standards for school libraries , mandating the removal of books containing explicit sexual content from K-12 schools by October 1. The move, announced through a ministerial order by Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, comes after months of growing debate over certain graphic novels available in public school libraries. 'This is not about banning books,' Nicolaides said. 'Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don't expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The order prohibits materials with 'a detailed and clear depiction of a sexual act,' including masturbation, genital contact, and penetration. Non-explicit sexual content will only be available to students in Grades 10-12 if deemed developmentally appropriate. Students in Grade 9 and below are not allowed access to such materials. Books specifically named by the province as inappropriate include: Live Events Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Blankets by Craig Thompson Flamer by Mike Curato These books were found in both elementary and high schools under the Calgary Board of Education and the Edmonton Public School Board. The government says materials about puberty, menstruation, and breastfeeding are not restricted at any grade level. Religious books, such as the Bible, are exempt from the new order. School boards must now: Remove all books with explicit sexual content by October 1, 2025 Publicly post their library catalogues Ensure staff supervise students' access to library resources Align their policies with the new standards by January 1, 2026 No additional funding has been allocated to support schools in implementing these changes. The Calgary Board of Education responded, saying it 'already has rigorous processes' for evaluating library materials. The Calgary Catholic School District also stated it 'will align with the new mandated standards.' Critics, including public librarians and teacher unions, argue this is a political move targeting LGBTQ+ content. 'This is a ban in all but name,' said Peter Bailey, CEO of St. Albert Public Library. An online government survey that received over 77,000 valid responses showed 42 percent of Albertans supported banning sexually explicit content outright, while 22 percent favored limiting it based on grade level. The policy does not apply to classroom materials selected by teachers or municipal libraries located within school buildings.
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Alberta to ban explicit sex books in school libraries starting Oct. 1
EDMONTON - Alberta's education minister says sexually explicit content must be gone from school library shelves as of Oct. 1, but the move is not about book banning. Demetrios Nicolaides says the announcement is about putting rules in place for schools that until now have had no provincewide standard for selecting age-appropriate books for their libraries. 'This was never about erasing particular narratives from school libraries,' Nicolaides told a news conference in Calgary on Thursday. 'This is simply about ensuring young students are not exposed to content depicting oral sex, child molestation or other very inappropriate content.' As part of the announcement, Nicolaides issued a list of specific sex acts that can't be explicitly described in library books alongside new rules for what students can read. No students will be allowed to access what the government calls explicit sexual content, including detailed depictions of masturbation, sexual penetration or sexual physical contact. Students in Grade 10 and above will be allowed to read non-explicit content, if it is developmentally appropriate. Religious texts, such as the Bible, will be allowed on the shelves, something Nicolaides said is important to preserving freedom of religion. What the government calls 'non-sexual content,' including descriptions of puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, kissing or handholding, will still be accessible. School boards must review library materials, and school officials will be tasked with supervising students to make sure they are reading appropriate material. No additional funds will be allotted for this work. Other deadlines will follow. By Jan. 1, new school board policies must be in place dictating how books are selected and reviewed. School divisions will also need to publish a full list of available materials. Nicolaides said he doesn't have the authority under the Education Act to dictate specific books be removed. He added that there is no specific enforcement mechanism but trusts schools will follow the policy. The new policy stems from an announcement Nicolaides made in May after he said four inappropriate coming-of-age graphic novels were found in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. He said each book contains graphic sexual material as well as depictions of molestation and drug and alcohol use. The government launched an online survey before Thursday's announcement. It found that the majority of respondents across demographics don't support the government setting new standards for school library books. Critics have said the province seems more concerned about engaging in culture-war politics than student well-being, as most of the books Nicolaides flagged deal with LGBTQ+ subject matter. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said in a statement the new rules will add to teachers' workload, politicize a 'non-issue' and target vulnerable students. 'It will have a chilling effect on our schools and signal to students who are coming to understand themselves that some expressions of their gender and sexual identities are shameful and should be hidden away,' he said. Laura Winton, past president of the Library Association of Alberta, said the policy is confusing but the result is clear. 'Titles will be removed from school libraries. That is censorship,' she said. Winton said professional librarians, teachers, school boards and administrators who have expertise in children's literature and age appropriateness should be the ones deciding what should be on the shelves. The Calgary Board of Education and Edmonton Public Schools said in separate statements they already have processes in place and their practices are guided by principles such as those published by Canadian School Libraries. The Calgary division also said they have clear mechanisms in place for people to bring forward concerns about specific resources. Julie Kusiek, board chair for Edmonton Public Schools, called on the minister to reconsider the Oct. 1 deadline to give teachers the time they need to catalogue classroom collections - or remove that requirement. 'Compiling a catalogue of potentially hundreds of books during this crucial time puts significant and unnecessary pressure on staff, who are already managing increasing classroom complexity and insufficient funding,' said Kusiek. Opposition NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said in a statement there are more urgent issues the United Conservative Party government should be focused on, including overcrowded classrooms and a lack of educational assistants. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025. Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version listed incorrect details of what the Alberta government considers non-sexual and non-explicit sexual content.
