Most Albertan parents do not want their kids to have access to sexually explicit content available in school libraries, a poll by the provincial government finds.
Nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) were a parent or guardian of a school-aged child, from kindergarten to Grade 12. The “Interested Albertan” category made up 33 percent. In comparison, the remaining respondents included teachers (7 percent), school administrators (1 percent), school or public librarians (1 percent), and parents or guardians of non-school aged children (10 percent).
Most of the respondents (67 percent) live in the Edmonton or Calgary area. They were asked a series of questions, including one about the age at which they think children should be allowed to access materials with sexually explicit content in school libraries.
In response to that question, 34 percent said “never,” while 23 percent said it should be allowed for high school students aged 15 and older.
Parents of school-age children were the most supportive (42 percent) of never allowing children access to these materials in schools. School administrators and parents whose children are “not in school” accounted for 35 percent and 32 percent respectively of those who shared this view. Teachers who shared the same sentiment made up 25 percent, while 26 percent of “Interested Albertan” agreed. School or public librarians expressed the least support, with only 17 percent saying “never.”
‘Provincewide Standard’
The survey results, according to the province, concurred with the findings of a separate public opinion poll it conducted last month, in which 94 percent of 1,500 adult Albertans said they were against having sexually explicit materials in elementary schools. Also in that poll in May, 51 percent were against having those materials in any library accessible to children, and 75 percent said it’s important for parents to have a say in what materials are present in school libraries.In the survey conducted from May 26 to June 6, 62 percent of respondents said parents or guardians should play a role in reporting or challenging sexually explicit content made available in school libraries. Additionally, 41 percent were supportive of school libraries restricting access to explicit materials based on age or grade level. Thirty percent said, “Remove them entirely.”
“Parents, educators and Albertans in general want action to ensure children don’t have access to age-inappropriate materials in school libraries,” Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in the June 20 press release.
“We will use this valuable input to guide the creation of a provincewide standard to ensure the policy reflects the priorities and values of Albertans.”
‘Inappropriate’
The survey was launched in response to concerns from parents that books with sexually graphic content had made their way onto school library shelves, according to the province. At a press conference on May 26, Nicolaides said his ministry had identified several “inappropriate” books in some K-12 libraries in Edmonton and Calgary, containing graphic content on topics such as sexual activity, nudity, and molestation.Some of the books identified as “inappropriate” include “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe; “Fun Home,” a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel; “Blankets,” a graphic novel by Craig Thompson; and “Flamer,” a graphic novel by Mike Curato.
Other topics identified in the material deemed inappropriate include profanity, self-harm, violence, and alcohol and drug use. Samples shared with the media and available through the public survey show explicit sexual content involving both heterosexual and same-sex couples, as well as references to sex between people with large age differences.
These books were found in schools overseen by the Edmonton Public School Board and the Calgary Board of Education, according to the province.
Neither school board responded by publication time when asked to comment on the survey results and the province’s intent to implement “clear and consistent guidelines” for library content.
