Something’s happening in Alberta schools that’s got everyone talking. Alberta’s school book removals just got real, and the list is way longer than anyone expected. We’re talking about over 200 books getting pulled from Edmonton school libraries – including some you probably read in high school.
Here’s what’s shocking: it’s not just the books that were causing the controversy originally. The list includes classics that have been on school shelves for decades.
What Started This Whole Thing
Let’s rewind a bit. Alberta’s school book removals began after some parents complained about four graphic novels they found in Edmonton and Calgary schools this spring. These books had sexual content that made parents uncomfortable, especially for younger kids.
Fair enough, right? Most parents would want to know what their kids are reading.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides listened and created new rules. He signed something called a “ministerial order” that basically said schools need to remove books with “explicit sexual content” by October 1st.
The Unexpected List
Here’s where Alberta’s school book removals took a unexpected turn.
Edmonton Public Schools spent the summer going through their libraries. They came up with a list of books to remove, and when it leaked online Thursday, people couldn’t believe their eyes.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood? Gone. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley? Pulled. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Restricted to older students only.
Books by Maya Angelou, Alice Munro, and George Orwell are also on the chopping block. We’re talking about literature that’s been taught in Canadian schools for generations.
Even the Premier Says “Hold Up”
Premier Danielle Smith looked at the list and basically said Edmonton schools went overboard. She called it “vicious compliance” – meaning they’re following the rules but in a way that makes the government appear unreasonable.
“Edmonton Public is clearly doing a little vicious compliance over what the direction is,” Smith said Friday morning.
She stressed that Alberta’s school book removals were meant to keep graphic sexual content away from elementary school kids, not ban classic literature from high schoolers.
The Author Fights Back
Margaret Atwood, who wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, didn’t stay quiet about Alberta’s school book removals affecting her work. She posted on social media Friday with some serious sass.
“Don’t read it, your hair will catch on fire! Get one now before they have public book burnings of it,” Atwood wrote about her Edmonton ban.
That’s a strong statement. When one of Canada’s most famous authors is making jokes about book burnings, you know the situation got complicated.
The School Board’s Position
Edmonton Public School Board chair Julie Kusiek says they’re just following orders. The board spent the summer making sure they only flagged books that met the government’s criteria.
“Division staff worked over the summer to ensure that only books that directly met the criteria in the ministerial order were added to the Division’s removal list,” Kusiek said in a statement.
But she also admitted that “several excellent books will be removed from our shelves this fall.” The board told anyone with complaints to contact the education minister directly.
What Critics Are Saying
Ira Wells from PEN Canada, an organization that fights book censorship, isn’t mincing words about Alberta’s school book removals.
“What the government of Alberta is doing here is book banning. It is literary censorship and we should use those words,” Wells said.
He argues that while parents should care about what their kids read, politicians shouldn’t be deciding what books get banned from libraries.
Even Some Supporters Are Confused
John Hilton-O’Brien runs Parents for Choice in Education, the group that originally complained about those graphic novels. But even he thinks Alberta’s school book removals went too far.
“No reasonable person can take this seriously,” he told CBC News. He accused the school board of “malicious compliance” and said they didn’t ask for “book-burning roulette with Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou.”
When the people who started the complaints think you’ve gone too far, that’s saying something.
The Timing Couldn’t Be Worse
Alberta’s school book removals are happening just as students head back to school next week. About 115,000 kids go to Edmonton public schools across more than 200 locations.
But that’s not the only crisis hitting Alberta schools. The province’s 51,000 teachers are threatening to go on strike over classroom conditions and contract negotiations.
Opposition education critic Amanda Chapman said the government’s priorities are backwards. Instead of focusing on preventing a teacher strike, they’re worried about keeping Margaret Atwood books away from teenagers.
Other School Boards React
Calgary Board of Education is reviewing over 500,000 book titles to comply with the new rules. That’s a massive job that’ll take months.
Other Alberta school boards are being more cautious about Alberta’s school book removals. Fort McMurray Public Schools says they’re only removing the four original graphic novels that caused the controversy.
Red Deer Public Schools was supposed to release their list Friday, but decided not to. Seems like they’re waiting to see how this Edmonton situation plays out.
The Legal Side of Things
The education minister says he has questions about Edmonton’s list and will be talking to the school board soon.
“I want to get a better understanding of how these books were selected and what mechanisms and method the Edmonton Public Schools has used,” Nicolaides said.
The government insists Alberta’s school book removals are about protecting kids from graphic sexual content, not banning great literature.
What Happens Next
This story about Alberta’s school book removals is far from over. The education minister is reviewing Edmonton’s list and working with all school boards to make sure the policy gets implemented “appropriately.”
Students in grades 10 and up might still be able to access some of the restricted books if they’re deemed “developmentally appropriate.” But the school boards have to make those decisions book by book.
The Bigger Questions
Alberta’s school book removals are raising bigger questions about who gets to decide what kids should read. Is it parents? Teachers? Politicians? Librarians who’ve been trained for this stuff?
The controversy shows how tricky it is to balance protecting kids with preserving access to important literature. Books that help teenagers understand difficult topics like racism, oppression, and growing up are the same ones that might contain mature content.
Moving Forward
As students return to classrooms next week, they’ll find their school libraries looking different. Alberta’s school book removals mean fewer choices on the shelves, at least for now.
The fight over these books isn’t just about literature – it’s about values, parental rights, and who gets to make decisions about education in Canada.
One thing’s for sure: Alberta’s school book removals have started a conversation that’s going to continue long after the October 1st deadline passes. And with teachers potentially going on strike, Alberta’s education system is facing challenges on multiple fronts.
The question now is whether a balanced approach will prevail, or if more classic literature will end up in storage boxes instead of student hands.
