Edmonton Public Schools enlisted the help of 11 teachers last summer to assist in the evaluation and identification of sexually explicit books flagged by the Alberta government, as revealed in recently acquired documents by CBC News. The hiring of these teachers was in response to a ministerial directive issued by Alberta Education in July, mandating the removal of such material from school libraries.
A list of books circulated internally in late August included titles like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Brave New World,” which faced criticism from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for being overly compliant with the directive. The order was later revised in September to specifically ban works featuring explicit visual depictions of sexual acts.
Documents obtained through an Access to Information request from Edmonton Public Schools shed light on the measures taken by the school division to adhere to the ministerial order. The records, spanning 329 pages, disclosed that the 11 teachers were tasked with reviewing books between July 28 and August 22, with a total project cost of $43,000.
The teachers, drawn from various schools within the division, were required to possess backgrounds in English, comparative literature, library and information science, or related fields. The project focused on reviewing 500 books, including those likely to contain romantic or sexual content targeted at teens, popular titles at junior high and high schools, and award-winning books.
To classify each book, a consensus by a minimum of three teachers was necessary, considering categories such as non-sexual content, explicit content, or non-explicit sexual content. The urgency to complete the review before the mandated deadline of October 1, 2025, was emphasized in communications.
Following the controversy surrounding the initial list of books, which prompted feedback from acclaimed author Margaret Atwood, the ministerial order was temporarily halted and later revised to target books featuring explicit images of sexual acts. Books with textual descriptions of sexual acts were permitted to remain in schools, with a compliance deadline set for January 5.
While some school divisions disclosed the number of books removed, they refrained from identifying specific titles. Edmonton Public Schools previously stated they had earmarked 34 books for removal but clarified that no books had been discarded, with schools opting to store them differently.
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, when questioned about the documents, expressed concerns about the costs incurred and reiterated the policy’s focus on safeguarding children from inappropriate content. He emphasized that the decision on handling removed books rested with individual school boards. Nicolaides highlighted the importance of safeguarding children from explicit and age-inappropriate material.
