EDU Trending: Why Don’t We Trust Our Children?
Some groups ban books. Others try to rewrite them. The end game for both is to control what children learn and to politicize what they think. Now administrators in some schools have gone even further by censoring student newspapers.
Not because student journalists are expressing biased, immoral, unethical, or unresearched views, but because administrators who do not like or agree with what they say exercise their power to censor them under the protection of a 1988 Supreme Court decision.
Students and their advisors are harassed to avoid reporting on subjects that are controversial or politically unpopular, regardless of the truth.
The academic bar is now so low, students can step over it. What is the point? Who wins? Who loses?
Such practices are more than dangerous. They are a muzzling and a betrayal of our children’s natural curiosity, thirst for knowledge, and quest for independent thought and action. They also teach students to dissemble or abandon facts and truths to protect the image of a school, a town, or an individual.
Student journalists are pushing back. They want to engage in finding and reporting the facts and truths about issues important to themselves and their peers. They want to exercise their rights to protect a free press and not be bullied into false or biased reporting that protects the few at the expense of the many.
They want their school newspaper to be a safe place where they and their advisors can exchange views and be a “platform for respectful discourse among students.” And they want to develop the ability to think for themselves and have a positive impact on the world.
Students understand what is at stake, and they have a champion: The anti-censorship Student Press Law Center which urges state legislatures to pass “New Voices” laws that protect student journalists, their rights to communicate facts and truth in their school newspapers, and that also “block administrators from arbitrarily censoring student newspapers. To date, 18 states have passed such laws.
But the fight to preserve truth in student journalism is not over.
Our democracy is suffering moral, ethical, and political turpitude. Our children are paying the price. This is a time to dig deep, revive, and mobilize our collective courage to reclaim what we once valued and owe our children. We have survived threats to our democracy in the past. We can do so now if we support our children and their quest for facts, truth, and the right to express them. Our children know what is right.
News for Your Views: The Choice Is Yours
I hope this month’s articles give you pause. If you have comments to share, please contact me at: merle@merleschell.com Include Unpacking Education in the subject box. Thanks.
Diversity or proficiency? Why would UCLA’s once prestigious medical school prioritize race over competence when selecting would-be doctors for its program?
The walls are tumbling down between church and state in Louisiana. By 2025, schools that receive state funding must display a poster of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Three other states are considering similar laws. Where do we go from there?
Question of the Day: Team Player
Willie Mays wore his now-retired number 24 for two teams:
The Yankees and the Mets
The Dodgers and the Giants
The Yankees and the Dodgers
The Yankees and the Giants
The Giants and the Mets
For the correct answer, please go to www.merleschell.com/blog/its-only-a-point
From Me to You: Taking a Break
Everyone needs a break. So, I am taking a little time to complete one project and get a new one underway. Whether you staycation or travel this summer, I wish you laughter, fun, happy memories with family and friends at the beach, in the mountains, or in your own backyard. See you in the Fall.
