Just to provide some perspective for anyone who doesn’t read the article:
The books are not in any sense banned
Teachers are still allowed to teach them
The significance of the “recommended reading list” is that it acts as a “pre-approved” set of titles for teachers to use in the classroom
If a teacher wants to teach a non-list book, they can, after getting approval from the principal
AFAICT, the books will all still be available in the library like normal
That’s not to make a claim about whether it’s a good idea or not-- It will probably make it less likely that teachers will choose these books, which might be bad. The reasoning (outdated handling of racial topics; discomfort for students) is dubious and under-explained, IMO. But unless I’m missing something, it’s not even close to a book ban.
Just keep that in mind in advance of the “SOON IT WILL BE THOUGHT CRIME!” angle.
The decision to remove the four books from the list was made by a panel of 12 teachers, led by a group of researchers and experts on racial equity and inclusive education. The teachers did independent reviews of the recommended resources, ultimately determining that the four should no longer be recommended, Matthew said.
This decision comes from a group of teachers. From the article and local reporting it also seems unpopular with both sides of the provincial political fence.
Just to provide some perspective for anyone who doesn’t read the article:
That’s not to make a claim about whether it’s a good idea or not-- It will probably make it less likely that teachers will choose these books, which might be bad. The reasoning (outdated handling of racial topics; discomfort for students) is dubious and under-explained, IMO. But unless I’m missing something, it’s not even close to a book ban.
Just keep that in mind in advance of the “SOON IT WILL BE THOUGHT CRIME!” angle.
This decision comes from a group of teachers. From the article and local reporting it also seems unpopular with both sides of the provincial political fence.
Correct, which is interesting-- I was surprised that Premier Eby a) criticized the decision, and b) referred to it as a ban.