Front Against Censorship decries ban of Azzopardi's teen fiction as 'purely ideological'

The Front Against Censorship said a directive of the School Libraries Section (SLS) not to include two works of fiction by author Mario Azzopardi in secondary school libraries, was taken on "personal and ideological grounds" - without referring to SLS consultant Joseph Boffa, who directs policy on the selection of library books.

“The decision was taken on the premise that the themes explored failed to pass some conservative criterion of suitability,” Front spokesman Ingram Bondin said. “The case is worrying since it suggests that the educational system is prone to manipulation through the restriction of certain content.”

Whille saying that Vampir is available from the Floriana’s Public Library at the children’s intermediate section, the Front alleged that several irregularities occurred in the process to ban the book from secondary schools. “When we examined the School Library Regulations manual, we found several points of interests which have been blatantly ignored,” Bondin claimed.

“The manual clearly states the ‘responsibility for coordinating and recommending the selection and purchase of library materials rests with the teacher-librarians’”, Bondin said. “Moreover, the manual specifically recommends that the ‘use of profanity and sexual incidents shall not in itself disqualify material from selection’.”

Bondin said that even though Vampir has now been reclassified with a '16' rating, the manual considers young adults “to be anyone over fourteen years of age”.

The Front said the classification process was not transparent and restricted the choice of books according to the beliefs of decision-makers. "We want the classification process to be both well defined and transparent. The author of the book should have the right to suggest the classification based on the audience the author is targeting," Bondin said.

Bondin said it should be a panel of qualified experts “with no conflicting interest in the case” who should evaluate the author’s request. “If the panel deems the proposal as inadequate, then it should make its judgment available to public scrutiny followed by the author’s right to appeal.”

Bondin said that during Vampir’s banning, all standards of good practice were missing. “These standards will avoid arbitrary ideologically or religiously motivated judgements from being passed, whilst providing the required protection for minors of different ages.”

The Front has also called onto to the National Book Council to publish its report on the findings. “The impression being given to the public is that the matter is being discussed behind closed doors.”