Alberta’s government has ordered all public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools to remove books containing explicit sexual content from their libraries by 1 October 2025. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the directive is aimed at protecting students from material that depicts acts such as oral sex and child molestation. The rules stem from a May review that flagged four graphic novels in Edmonton and Calgary school libraries for graphic sexual material and substance use. Under the ministerial order, students in Grade 9 and below will also lose access to books that include non-explicit references to menstruation, puberty or romantic relationships such as hand-holding and kissing. Students in Grade 10 and above may read such material only if it is deemed developmentally appropriate. Religious texts, including the Bible, are exempt. School boards must publish complete catalogues of library holdings and adopt or revise selection and review policies by 1 January 2026. The province is not allocating extra funds for the review process, leaving boards to supervise compliance with existing resources. More than 80,000 people responded to an online consultation launched in May; a majority opposed the provincial standards. Critics contend the policy targets LGBTQ-themed literature and prioritises culture-war politics over student welfare, while supporters argue it sets clear, consistent guidelines.