When studying social studies, Canadian students explore people, their relationships with others, and their connection to the world around them. It is the school subject that best supports the development of the skills and knowledge needed to become informed, responsible, and actively engaged citizens. It promotes critical thinking and inquiry, helping students ask challenging questions, analyze multiple perspectives, and engage in open discussions about controversial topics. In doing so, students in social studies become better citizens by confronting historical and contemporary injustices and helping to build a more just and inclusive society.

Many of the books targeted for removal center the already marginalized voices of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. These removals send a chilling message to students who see their identities, families, or histories erased from classroom and library spaces and undermine their sense of safety, belonging, and dignity in schools.

With its attempt to ban certain books from school libraries, the Government of Alberta was taking a page out of the “parental rights” playbook. This movement has gained political traction across North America, particularly in the United States, where groups such as Moms for Liberty have become influential in shaping education policy that marginalizes racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Canada is not immune, and provincial governments and school boards and districts across the country are increasingly facing pressure from groups such as Action4Canada and Parents for Choice in Education to adopt similar approaches.

Although these efforts are usually framed as protecting children, they mask deeper attempts to suppress diverse identities and perspectives, particularly those related to gender and sexual diversity. Importantly, while the concept of “parental rights” is not explicitly recognized under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or in Canadian human rights law, children’s rights are clearly protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Canada has ratified (Ganshorn, 2024).

While SSENC supports the essential role that parents play in guiding their children’s education, it is critical to uphold the foundational values of a democratic society, which are central to any quality social studies education: freedom of thought, access to diverse perspectives, and the fostering of critical inquiry.

Social studies education is never neutral. It empowers students to understand complex histories, cultures, and systems of power. The selective removal of books, particularly those that explore lived experiences, under the guise of “parental rights” or the vague labeling of “sexually explicit content” risks sanitizing education. This limits students’ ability to grow into informed, empathetic, and engaged citizens, the primary goal of education in a democracy.

These policies not only compromise educational quality, they also undermine the professional expertise of teachers and teacher-librarians, who already follow well-established review processes to ensure materials are developmentally appropriate and educationally sound. Interfering with their professional judgment sets a dangerous precedent and politicizes what should be an evidence-based, student-centered process.

Moreover, if book bans become normalized, it opens the door to broader political interference in education where any topic that challenges dominant views may be subject to censorship. This poses a fundamental threat to academic freedom, historical accuracy, and democratic learning.

We must ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to materials that reflect the full diversity of Canadian society and the world.

In light of the Alberta government’s newly proposed legislation curtailing the rights of transgender students, supported by the planned use of the notwithstanding clause, the urgency of defending inclusive, democratic education becomes even more apparent. These actions are part of the same movement to restrict identities, perspectives, and knowledge in schools, and they deepen our concern for the wellbeing of students and educators across the country.

SSENC strongly supports the autonomy of teachers and teacher-librarians to do the work they have steadfastly trained and committed their lives to. At a time when provincial governments are willing to restrict students’ rights and use extraordinary measures such as the notwithstanding clause, Canadian students deserve nothing less than a full, inclusive, and democratic education.