The Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Schools

What would happen if one could not speak their mind? In the United States, citizens are given the right of freedom of speech. The key idea is that it is a right, not a privilege. It cannot be taken away from a law abiding citizen. The problem with this is that sometimes other things get in the way of free speech. In a school setting, there are certain parameters that one must stay within and because of this; there are positives and negatives of freedom of speech. Strike and Soltis (2009) reference the NEA Code saying that teachers “Shall not unreasonably restrain the student from independent action in the pursuit of learning” (p. 38). This could broadly be interpreted as teachers may not censor students. There are many different ways that censorship could happen in a school setting. Students may be censored from publishing controversial articles in school sponsored papers similar to Mr., Lane in Strike and Soltis (2009). While it is not definitive what Mr. Lane does, it is interesting and thought
“According to Kant, the Gold Rule requires that we act in ways that respect the equal worth of moral agents. It requires that we regard human beings as having intrinsic worth and treat them accordingly” (Strike & Soltis, 2009, p. 15). If we do not let human beings make their own choices regarding morality, we are not letting them follow what is natural. This is why it would be unethical to censor with the school setting. Students would need to see what is moral and immoral by making the right choices and decisions. While discussion censorship and ethics, it is important to think about where ethical thinking is started. Parents and teachers have a moral obligation teach their children and students about right and wrong. With the schema of learning right and wrong, it will be easier to make a moral decision like a non-consequentialist would