The Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling has issued the following statement with regards to the Government of Alberta issuing a ministerial order on school libraries.
This ministerial order accomplishes little other than adding to teacher workload, politicizing a non-issue and targeting vulnerable students. It’s also an overreaction that highlights a lack of resources for school libraries and the fact that our schools cannot afford to employ teacher-librarians to create, curate and coordinate library resources to support student learning in age- and grade-appropriate ways.
The sweeping scope of this ministerial order will result in the removal of valuable and inclusive resources from our libraries. It will also discourage teachers from seeking out materials that interest and engage students.
Ultimately, 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.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 51,000 members.