Action | Amendments Regarding Use of Controversial or Sensitive Instructional Materials |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 1/15/2014 |
Parents are almost always aware of what their children are reading in school due to the open houses before a school year starts, the syllabus given out, and there are even textbook boards that parents are encouraged to be apart of. This state wide amendment is ridiculus because it can affect the curriculum of other diplomas that are recognized around the world, such as the IB Diploma. There are certain requirements for the novels that are read in the English course of the IB Diploma. Do you really think that other countries care if there are swear words, sex, or abuse in a novel? No because they think that by this time in a young individual's life that they can handle such issues and recognize the real world and its problems. This amendment is censorship and will affect the learning of students who want to be in programs such as the IB Diploma Program.
Books that do have swear words, sex, abuse, and violence tend to paint a bigger picture. Would books like Secret Life of Bees, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Night, Count of Monte Cristo give enough information for analysis by students if we took out the "bad parts" or the "sensitive parts"? No they would not. There are countless books that parents can argue are too sensitive but they are all amazing pieces of literature. Teachers are trained what books are appropriate to teach students, and how to teach books with some controvesial issues. Trust the teacher's decision on books because chances are that they are parents too. Let teachers teachers teach.