Alberta Education Bill Entrenches Censorship in Schools

TORONTO — Alberta’s new education bill entrenches censorship under the guise of neutrality, by restricting expression and centralizing decision-making power over what can be taught and discussed in schools.

Bill 25 gives the Alberta government new powers to determine what constitutes “political” or “ideological” content in classrooms. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) warns that such broad and undefined powers risk further politicizing education rather than depoliticizing it.

In a free and democratic society, the role of government is not to control ideas in classrooms, but to ensure that education is evidence-based, inclusive, and prepares students for participation in society.

“Last year Alberta tried to ban books in schools, now they are trying to limit what can be taught in schools.” said Howard Sapers, Executive Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “Schools should be places where students learn how to think critically, not what to think. When governments label certain topics, books, or symbols as ‘ideological,’ the result is not neutrality – it is censorship.”

Bill 25 also undermines equity in education by removing references to diversity from the Education Act and restricting displaying certain flags in schools subject to regulatory control.

“Bill 25 tries to erase diversity the Education Act, even though diversity and inclusion are everyday realities in schools across Alberta,” said Harini Sivalingam, Director of Equality at the CCLA. “Restricting flags in schools is not a neutral act. Flags, such as Every Child Matters or Pride, are a form of expression and, for many students, a sign of identity, safety, and belonging within the school community.”

The CCLA is calling on the Alberta government to withdraw these harmful provisions of Bill 25 that threatens free expression and inclusion in schools.