Minister of Education

The Minister of Education of Ontario - Steven Lackey

Photo of some of the books that were recovered during The Book Burning

The original copy of this book was lost during The Book Burning but a few pages were taken out of the rubble and repurposed into a new book. Below are excerpts from Education Unravelled republished by the Banned Books Collection.

"In the chambers of the Minister of Education of Ontario, lit only an early prototype for B0TCorps holograms repeats “The Sky Awaits Your Potential!” This was supposed to be a beacon of hope but is only seen as a mockery to the minister and serves as a reminder of his naivety. Leaving this on his desk for almost 30 years from when he was just starting in his career." (page 3)

"The Minister, once a resident of the Underworld, now finds himself perched on the precipice between the 1% and the people he was born amongst. He is one of the few people that interact with both Underworlders and Sky People. As he peers through the towering window of the chambers he sees the obvious separation between the privileged Sky-world and the struggling Underworld. “I’m a pawn.” Lackey whispered into the shadows, as the sprawling city of Toronto unfolded beneath him." (Page 15)

Education Unravelled Book Cover

"Everything around him reminds him of his biggest regret, the Rebellion. Nearly 10 years ago the Underworlders asked for the Minister to support them to create a more equitable society but out of fear he denied them."I allowed for this to continue" Lackey admitted. "Then again I can't go back to that life, I refuse" He questioned all of his life choices leading up to this, reflecting on the faces of those who dared to stand up to B0TCorp who suspiciously disappeared and were never heard of again, he quickly catches himself and reminds himself its a dog eat dog world out there and he's doing his best to simply survive. This dual identity is something he struggles with, everyone yearns for the sky, and he's just one of the lucky ones who made it. "That's not something to be ashamed of," he says in a shaky voice." (Page 39)

"Fear is Lackey's driving factor, his motivation, he doesn't know how to live without it. A coward. Allowing the B0TCorp to push their agendas into the Underworld education curriculum, removing any sort of creativity, pushing standardized testing, only allowing hospitality classes, having outdated unsafe 2020s tech, and allowing abuse to keep people in line. "Where do I draw the line, these were my people," he says. Meanwhile, Sky-world gets anything they need and more, individual learning plans catered to each student's needs, promoting a safe space for students to develop their critical thinking skills, and new and advanced technology, this is only the beginning. They save the better education for Sky-world as this allows for them to reap the benefits of having a higher education." (Page 89)

"Education Overlords"

"The Minister explains "I have nothing left to live for, even my wife has left me out of shame. She grew to resent me even though I created a better life for her. She just couldn't bear the fact that I remained silent during the rebellion. This book is for her, Marie, my rock. I must prove to her that I am more than a shell of a man, so this is it, my tell-all. The Education system is bull s**t, it allows for those who already have privilege to easily succeed as they have all their needs met, but for those in the underworld, people like me, your f*****d. Even though I beat the odds, I destroyed every relationship and lost the trust of all of the citizens in the underworld for my benefit, and for what? The Underworlders deserve better, they are people too, they deserve a real education, and real equitable opportunities. F**k B0TCorp, f**k the system, and f**k Sky-world." A day after Lackey said this the windows from his office were found shattered and his body was found lifeless on the ground at the bottom of the sidewalk in the underworld, many believe he killed himself due to regret." (page 130)