Latest news with #DemetriosNicolaides
Hamilton Spectator
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Survey finds strong parental support for protecting students from explicit content
Most Albertans believe children should be protected from accessing graphic content in their school libraries, results of a survey released this afternoon suggest. More than 77,000 respondents took part in the online survey, with 42 per cent of parent participants saying explicit materials are unsafe at any age for students in kindergarten to Grade 12. The results are buttressed by a separate public opinion poll of 1,500 adult Albertans last month that found that 94 per cent of respondents were against sexually explicit materials being allowed in elementary school libraries. And 51 per cent were against them in any library accessible to children. Also in the poll, 75 per cent of respondents said it's important for parents to have a say about what materials are present in school libraries. In the online survey, only 14 per cent of parent respondents said the content is acceptable for all age groups in public schools. Those supporting high school-aged students having access made up 22 per cent of parent responses, while the percentage drops to 18 per cent for middle school and four per cent for elementary school. Explicit depictions of sexual and other acts in four graphic novels or graphic memoirs prompted the province to announce that it's investigating the idea of developing standards. The books were found in school libraries in Calgary and Edmonton open to children in kindergarten and up. One way the government gauged public opinion on the issue was through the survey, which ran from May 26 to June 6. Results were made public today on the website. The government will use the results and 'ongoing feedback collected from education partners' to develop provincewide standards, the news release posted this afternoon says. 'These standards will provide school boards with clear and consistent guidelines for selecting and managing age-appropriate materials in school libraries across the province,' says the release. Strong support — 62 per cent of responses — emerged for parents and guardians having a role in reporting or challenging sexually explicit content in school libraries. When asked who should decide what materials are age-appropriate in school libraries, the most popular responses were school librarians, teachers and parents. NOISY DATA Bad actors and their bots forced the Alberta government to weed through noisy data in the survey, Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides told a roundtable of rural media representatives earlier in the week. Nicolaides said the survey generated 'a high volume of responses.' But apparently the results included 'attempts to undermine the validity of the questionnaire through the submission of hundreds of responses at the same time, probably administered through bots or other types of measures. So that's a little disappointing,' he said. At the time of the roundtable with rural media on Tuesday, the government was busy sifting through the data to arrive at its findings. Out of an original 196,901 entries, 118,574 duplicates and 932 blank entries were removed, today's release says. That means the results are based on 77,395 responses. Another 515 responses were received in a French language survey. RURAL MEDIA ROUNDTABLE Sexual depictions in the four books include masturbation, oral sex, pornography use and petting. Mentions of self-harm, sexual abuse and suicide are also present. The books were in libraries visited by students in kindergarten and higher grades, the government said. All four are coming-of-age books written by Americans and based at least partially on their authors' life experiences. Three of them directly reflect experiences in the LGBTQ2S+ community. The content's existence in libraries suggests that there's a standards gap when it comes to explicit material that could end up in the hands of children, Nicolaides said. 'It's almost an impossibility to be able to know the full extent of the content of the vast majority of books that are published in any environment,' said Nicolaides, the member for Calgary-Bow. 'So these are ones that we do know of, of course, that were brought to our attention.' But don't expect the government to go through each library's collection, said Nicolaides. 'How school boards have their libraries vet or sort content will probably be left up to them.' Many school boards already have policies around content. New standards would apply to public, separate, francophone, public charter and independent schools. The standards would not affect materials in Alberta's municipal public libraries — including 55 of them located in schools. 'Those could be uniquely challenging scenarios,' Nicolaides said. He said he's talked the issue over with Dan Williams, the new minister of municipal affairs, but not in depth. 'We have had some conversations, because he is interested in understanding a little bit more about what we're doing,' said Nicolaides. Nicolaides doesn't foresee a need for new legislation. Any standards the government creates will come into being through ministerial order. How or whether the standards apply to every age or grade range hasn't been determined. Nicolaides said sexually graphic content can be important for some ages and groups in some situations. 'Our major concern is around age appropriateness,' he said. Explicit books 'can be helpful resources to individuals who have a particular experience or have particular questions. And I don't have any concern with any kind of topic or subject being made available in school libraries.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Alberta government to fund 16 new collegiate programs for career preparation
Alberta's education ministry will fund 16 new school collegiate programs to increase opportunities for students looking for an early jump on careers. Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says $27.5 million already in this year's budget will fund space modifications, equipment and startup costs for the new programs, which will begin in September. New collegiates will focus on training in various vocations, including skilled trades, technology, aviation, business and first responders. "If an individual has a strong passion for a particular area and they know they want to go into that area, let's help accelerate their journey," Nicolaides told CBC News Thursday. "Let's help accelerate their high school programming, their post-secondary programming, and get them into those occupations as quickly as we can." Nicolaides is announcing the details in a Calgary airport hangar Friday afternoon. This year's startup funding recipients include Edmonton's public and Catholic school divisions, the Canadian Rockies school division in Banff in southern Alberta, the Northland School Division in northern Alberta and the Medicine Hat public and Catholic school divisions. A "collegiate school" is a program in the junior- or senior-high grades at a public, Catholic, francophone, charter or private school, that tailors a student's education for a specific career path. Nicolaides said students must be offered hands-on learning, and connected with post-secondary institutions and employers to either earn some post-secondary credits during their training, or line up prospective work after graduation. The province now has 12 active collegiate programs, including five that began in fall 2023, according to the Education and Childcare Ministry. The funding announced Friday will also help four existing collegiates to improve their facilities. The minister received 18 funding applications to start new collegiates, approving 16 of them, ministry press secretary Garrett Koehler said in an email. The government has also budgeted $8 million, for each of the next two fiscal years, to create more collegiate programs, Koehler said. Nicolaides said he doesn't have a target number of total programs in mind, as the proposals come from schools and divisions. The programs are a worthwhile investment because employers in some sectors struggle to find skilled workers, he said. "We need more young people to enter into particular occupations," he said. "If we can pair people up and move them through the training process a lot faster, there's significant benefit to the economy and industry," he said.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Government alerted to no sexually graphic material so far in rural school libraries
No examples of potentially age-inappropriate content from Alberta's rural school libraries had landed on the education minister's desk by Tuesday morning. During a roundtable with about 20 reporters and other rural media representatives, Demetrios Nicolaides confirmed that the examples of graphic content the government was alerted to originated from four books in Edmonton and Calgary school libraries. But their existence nonetheless suggests that there's a standards gap when it comes to explicit material that could end up in the hands of children, he maintained. 'It's almost an impossibility to be able to know the full extent of the content of the vast majority of books that are published in any environment,' said Nicolaides, the member for Calgary-Bow. 'So these are ones that we do know of, of course, that were brought to our attention.' Regardless, don't expect the government to go through each library's collection, said Nicolaides, whose portfolio expanded May 16 to include childcare. 'How school boards have their libraries vet or sort content will probably be left up to them.' The UCP set up the roundtable to answer questions about the move towards provincial standards for school libraries in the selection and management of materials with sexual content. Explicit depictions of sexual and other acts in four graphic novels or graphic memoirs — books in comic-strip format — prompted the province to announce that it's investigating the idea of developing standards. The books were found in school libraries open to children in kindergarten and up. Feedback suggests that many school boards are comfortable with an overall standard being set, Nicolaides said, providing they retain control of acting on the province's direction through their own policies. 'That's probably the direction we'll go because there are a lot of nuances. We'll establish the 'what' — what we're trying to do, what we intend to do.' But the 'how' will stay with boards, allowing them to apply their 'unique circumstances, unique schools and unique dynamics' to the provincial direction. Nicolaides announced consideration of the new standards May 26, which the government backed up with an online survey of Albertans' thoughts on the issue. The survey closed June 6 and by Tuesday results were still being 'collected and collated,' Nicolaides said. Sexual depictions in the four books include masturbation, oral sex, pornography use and petting. Mentions of self-harm, sexual abuse and suicide are also present. The books were in libraries visited by students in kindergarten and higher grades, the government said. All four are coming-of-age books written by Americans and based upon their authors' life experiences. Three of them directly reflect experiences in the LGBTQ2S+ community. After hearing about the roundtable, the NDP maintained that the UCP is diverting attention from its own performance. 'This government continues to fund education at the lowest level in the country, leaving schools overcrowded and understaffed,' said Amanda Chapman, the opposition's shadow minister of education. 'Instead of addressing the urgent issues in our classrooms — like overcrowding, staffing shortages and Alberta's position as the lowest funder of education per student in the country — the Minister of Education is focused on staging political distractions,' Chapman said in an emailed statement. 'What's more troubling is the pattern we're seeing from this government: decisions made behind closed doors, performative consultations that offer no real clarity, and a consistent refusal to be upfront with Albertans about what they've heard and how policies will be rolled out.' Decisions on school library content should lie not with politicians but with teachers and library professionals. 'In many cases, there aren't even librarians available to make these decisions, let alone enough teachers or educational assistants to support our kids,' said Chapman, the member representing Calgary-Beddington. 'Albertans deserve a government that is transparent, ethical and competent — one that trusts experts to do their jobs and gives them the resources to do them well.' Nicolaides doesn't foresee a need for new legislation. Any standards the government creates will come into being through ministerial order. How or whether the standards apply to every age or grade range hasn't been determined. Nicolaides stopped well short of endorsing the four books, but he did say that sexually graphic content can be important for some ages and groups in some situations. 'Our major concern is around age appropriateness,' he said. Explicit books 'can be helpful resources to individuals who have a particular experience or have particular questions. And I don't have any concern with any kind of topic or subject being made available in school libraries.' Many school boards already have policies around content. Potential new requirements would be consistent across the province and would apply to public, separate, francophone, public charter and independent schools. A new standard would not affect materials in Alberta's municipal public libraries, including 55 of them located in schools. 'Those could be uniquely challenging scenarios,' Nicolaides said. He said he's talked the issue over with Dan Williams, the new minister of municipal affairs, but not in any depth. The Peace River representative was appointed May 26, after the last minster. Ric McIver, accepted the position of speaker of the legislative assembly. 'We have had some conversations, because he is interested in understanding a little bit more about what we're doing,' said Nicolaides. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- General
- Edmonton Journal
Bell: Smith government set to punt sexually explicit books out of school libraries
'Parents believe this kind of material is not appropriate for kids,' says Demetrios Nicolaides, the Alberta education minister who wants sexually graphic books out of school libraries Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta's minister of education and childcare, speaks at a media conference in Calgary on Monday, May 26, 2025. Dean Pilling/Postmedia You remember the story. Sexually explicit books found in Calgary and Edmonton public school libraries, including in schools teaching the youngest kids. Graphic books with graphic depictions of sexual acts, where a drawing can indeed be worth a thousand words. Masturbation. A masturbation game. Sexual accessories. Oral sex. Child molestation. We have come a very long way from Dr. Seuss. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Parents complained. Demetrios Nicolaides, the Danielle Smith government's point man for schools, was shocked. 'I know some media outlets shared the images but they needed to blur them all out,' he says. 'If the media has to blur out these images because of the graphic nature of the content why would we think it's appropriate in our schools?' The Smith government put out a survey Albertans could answer. They now have the results. When asked when children should be able to access sexually explicit materials in school libraries, these are the numbers. Never. 34 percent. Elementary school. 4 per cent. Middle school. 22 per cent. High school. 23 per cent. At all ages. 17 per cent. A little more than six out of 10 surveyed believe parents should have a role in reporting or challenging sexually explicit content in school libraries. Read More Parents of school age children were the most supportive of children not having any access to the sexual materials in schools. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again After duplicates and blank entries were removed, 77,910 surveys were counted. 'Parents don't believe this kind of material is appropriate for kids,' says Nicolaides, the minister of education. He also talked to school boards and librarians. He has heard the voices on this issue. Now it is time to write up what is called a ministerial order, a policy to make sure children are not exposed to graphic sexual material in school libraries. There is still some discussion if the rules around this explicit material should be any different for high schools but a betting man would say probably not, as Nicolaides points to the survey. 'There is a very strong position from parents that it should never be in school and I'm inclined to take significant direction from parents.' The province will set the standard and the school boards will decide how they follow it. The order should be ready in two to three weeks. School will be out for summer so it may be not fully in force at the schools until closer to the end of this calendar year. Of course, the thought of the government weighing into the issue led to hysteria among some sorts. The government was accused of banning books, the jackboots of the Smith government trampling people's rights. The Alberta NDP joined in the hand-wringing, once again a sentiment not in line with most Albertans. 'Some of it may be an emotional reaction to something they perceive the government is doing,' says Nicolaides. But the Smith government is not banning books. 'We're simply saying something that in my mind is already generally understood by society,' says Nicolaides. 'Don't show children graphic sexual material. I think we already have that understanding in society. You don't see certain types of magazines on the shelves in schools.' Books in a school library are seen in this file photo. How did the sexually graphic books end up on the shelves? Nicolaides has sent a letter to the Calgary and Edmonton public school boards to get an answer. The education minister does mention he met with librarians and was told the government shouldn't be involved and the government was limiting the freedom to explore different topics. After the meeting Nicolaides says he discovered the president of the library association had advocated to get some books removed from libraries 'because she felt they were really offensive to a particular demographic.' I'll let you put two and two together on that one. By the way, did anyone ever tell Nicolaides tell there was no problem with a Grade 3 student looking over this sexual material? 'No,' says Smith's main man for schools. But he was told librarians and teachers should be making the rules according to the latest research. 'I asked them to show me the research that demonstrates providing children with graphic sexual images is beneficial in some way and I'd be happy to be proven wrong. 'Naturally, they weren't able to direct me to any kind of research.' And before people once again let their hair on fire, Nicolaides was not looking to get involved in school libraries. The concerns arrived at his desk. 'Of course, it was not on my radar. I didn't wake up one day and say: I'm going to start meddling into the affairs of school libraries.' 'Unfortunately, it seemed like something was going a little haywire and so we were compelled to step in.' rbell@ Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Politics Sports Cult of Hockey
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Library officials, education minister meet over book controversy
A delegation from the Library Association of Alberta met Tuesday morning with provincial Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, warning that the government is moving into dangerous territory if it dictates what books should be weeded out of school libraries. Article content 'Our key message was that we feel that decisions about what belongs in school libraries and learning commons are best made by trained educators and librarians,' said Laura Winton, past president of the Library Association of Alberta and the organization's lead on this issue. 'Obviously, he's not in agreement with our viewpoint.' Article content Article content Article content In May Nicolaides said the government would be consulting the public about possible standards that could be implemented when it came to books that are available in school libraries. Four books were used as examples of materials that the ministry found objectionable due to their sexually explicit content: Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Craig Thompson's Blankets, and Flamer by Mike Curato. The four books that were highlighted by Nicolaides deal with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes. Article content Article content After the education minister made the announcement, conservative Christian Canadian lobby group Action4Canada said that members of its Calgary chapter had met with Nicolaides and had highlighted the four books in question. Nicolaides confirmed he had met with Action4Canada, but said his decision to look at placing standards on what can and can't go in school libraries was based on wider feedback he received from parents. Article content Article content Winton said that if Nicolaides goes through with a ministerial order, which she said was discussed in their meeting, Alberta would be the only province where the government set limits on what goes in school libraries. Article content Article content She said if school libraries are asked to do collection reviews, it will tax a system that is already short-staffed. Article content 'It's really intensive to do a collection review. Weeding is time-intensive and requires trained staff.' Article content Nicolaides said he and the librarians disagreed on many points. Article content 'School boards and parents have been clear, they do not want these types of books on a library shelf where a young student could access them, full stop,' he said in a statement issued Wednesday. 'I'm disappointed the Library Association is advocating against the involvement of parents. Article content 'During my meeting with the Library Association of Alberta, I asked them if they could provide me with evidence-based, peer-reviewed research and literature that defends exposing young students to oral sex, pedophilia, child molestation, self harm and other extremely sexually explicit material. They had no answer and no evidence to back their claims.'
