School Bans 130 Books, Sparks Censorship Debate

The Lowry Academy in Salford has become central to a growing censorship controversy after removing more than 130 books from its library. Titles such as George Orwell's '1984', Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight', and Alice Oseman's 'Heartstopper' graphic novels were among those taken off shelves due to concerns over their content.

The school clarified that many books were categorized into age-appropriate sections, with only a minimal number deemed inappropriate even for older students. This move has drawn sharp criticism from teaching unions, with the NEU passing a motion to combat censorship and support librarians.

Union representatives voiced concerns that such actions could lead to librarians self-censoring and facing external complaints or "hate campaigns." The motion emphasized that school librarians should not fear job loss for performing their professional duties and resolved to develop resources to help them navigate removal requests.

National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede stated that censoring books based on misinformation is alarming and affirmed the union's commitment to defending children's access to diverse literature in the UK. The school's trust denied 'banning' books, asserting an audit ensured content appropriateness.