To censor is “to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable”, according …show more content…
to Webster’s Dictionary. Censorship is used mostly in school for any controversial subjects. Outspoken parents are a main cause in school censorship. Matters having anything to do with religion, science, history, literature, art, and so on have been censored in schools across the country. Even though parents have full right to prevent their child from what they find harmful, it’s not right that their words may affect other students.
Practically all classic literature has been banned at one point or another. If all of these would have stayed censored, much knowledge would be taken from students. Books that contain
violence, profanity, or racial slurs and books without happy endings are opposed by some parents.
With all of these unwanted, the narrow list of allowable books would hardly prepare a child for life beyond high school. These stories are admittedly the most fascinating, and without them teachers would have a harder time getting unconcerned students involved in reading.
Every day in the U.S., censorship strikes. It can appear easily, such as a school having a ‘banned books’ list, or restrictions may transpire unnoticed, when a teacher doesn’t order a certain book for fear of complaints. The American Library Association estimates four or five unreported limitation for every reported censorship incident. The top reasons for criticizing books include sexually explicit passages, offensive language, and inappropriate content for the age group. However, most are from parents or citizens just concerned for the community.
Almost all school districts have a system for complaints, which helps protect academic freedom for their teachers. Censorship can be prevented by explaining to parents why controversial works were selected and to discuss how these materials will help students understand what is going on in class. Censorship degrades creativity, not to mention removes entertainment. Nonetheless, schools cannot be compared to a public area where one would give a speech, although censorship limits a student’s, or anyone’s, learning
experience.
Goldberg, Justin. “Censorship in Schools.” Learning, Speaking, and Thinking Freely: The First Amendment in Schools. 2005. National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). 18 Feb.
2008 < http://www.ncac.org/education/schools/#censorship>.