Censorship in Schools

My SEDU183 class was prompted to write about a current issue in education, and my mind gravitated towards the common: budget cuts, bullying, teacher pay. But later in the week, my English 104 class discussed censorship. This got me thinking about instances of censorship in my own educational career, as well as many I have read about or heard of. 

Being an English education major, I understand the value of the written word. I have always had this appreciation, which helped when I was in tenth grade. Our book for the unit: Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird." If you haven't read this book, it uses the "n" word quite frequently based on the time period and subject matter. Okay, that's fine. I don't go around spewing offensive racial slurs in my daily life, but I can understand that it enhances the meaning of this novel, so I personally think it is okay. I distinctly remember sitting in a circle in my tenth grade English class, discussing this word and whether or not it should be used. For some bizarre reason, we were going to read the entire novel aloud, which is why this word could become an issue. We decided to replace it with "negro." Personally, I felt like some of the meaning was lost. Text books and other sources use "negro" because it is a non offensive word, but in the context of "Mockingbird," I believe the "n" word was important in understanding the hate towards Tom Robinson, and ultimately why the case was decided the way it was.

 

 

This novel is not the only one that has been condemned for its language. There are countless lists of books that have been banned schools, and a whole bunch of other people, some for seemingly valid reasons and others for completely outrageous ones. In the terms of language, I think there are ways to accommodate student's who feel uncomfortable, as demonstrated in the anecdote of my tenth grade class. Ideas, on the other hand, can be harder to hide from sensitive students or parents. I think it's funny when Harry Potter is banned because I grew up reading those novels and I turned out just fine. Anyways, the schools that generally ban Harry Potter books are Catholic schools, and they ban them because of the concept of witchcraft. I can understand that, but when it comes to public schools, I don't think it is necessary to ban. When it comes to extreme sexuality, there should be some limits set. I personally have never read "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, but I know in the first scene she is raped by her father. To me, this draws the line. Rape is a sensitive topic that, when given to a broad audience such as a high school English class, has the potential to offend someone. However, mild, consensual sex is not something high schoolers have never seen, read, or experienced, and should not be banned.

But what can be done? When should the line be drawn? Who gets to decide where that line is?

These questions are not easy ones to answer. For example, if the power is given to the administrators and they can censor any material they feel to be inappropriate, that limits what the teacher can do. That also proves to the teacher that they are indeed inferior to their superiors if they cannot even come up with their own lesson plans. On the other hand, if the power is given to the teachers and administrators could not censor what was being done in the classroom, then the students could feel uncomfortable, causing their educational experiences to deteriorate. However, if the students hold all the power in the classroom by censoring what teachers are allowed to do, then the teachers once again have no control and are unable to effectively educate. It is a never-ending circle where someone is bound to lose. I think control should not universally be given to one group; instead, it should depend on the situation, allowing the party with power to shift. (This whole ordeal also applies to internet restrictions in schools...it's another form of censorship, just not one discussed in this blog) This may not seem like a big deal. However, as the world turns into a more digital, sue-happy place, the value and appreciation for the written word is declining. Students are being shielded from pieces of literature that has impacted the way life is today, and they will never be able to fully understand the concept of context and whether or not things are appropriate in that context. Students are shifting from books to video games, and censorship is causing their appreciation for literature to rapidly decline, making English class a dreaded class.

 

 

I encourage you to watch this video and tally how many books that you have read or heard about.