Now, what is appropriate for children to learn within the classroom? I think it really depends on the city/town in which one grows up. Many different areas throughout our country have many different political/social beliefs. For example, my hometown of Novi is predominantly white, upper middle class, and Christian. We have different belief systems than that of, say, Dearborn, that is predominantly Arabic. I think that if a teacher feels the need to teach about a certain topic, then they should be able to without any fear of negative impacts of talking about these topics. It is so naive of parents to think that their children won't learn about such topics at some point in their lives. Unless a school's curriculum specifically states that a certain topic cannot be covered, then I believe that a teacher has every reason to discuss topics that they feel strongly about. However, I am a firm believer that teachers MUST teach without any biases (which I understand is extremely difficult), and that they should never push their own beliefs on the children they are educating. I think they just need to cover topics and explain the facts of each.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Appropriate Controversial Topics for Children to Know
In today's society, there are sooo many controversial topics that are discussed (or not discussed for that matter). But what are the reasons for these topics not being discussed? If they are going on in our world, wouldn't it be important for our kids to know about them? In my opinion, children should know about controversial topics such as LGBTQ, discrimination/racism, religion, abortion, etc. But is it essential that they learn these in the classroom? I believe that it is the parents' responsibility to educate their children on topics such as these. I also believe that it is pathetic when parents try to hinder their children's knowledge. They are going to find out about these things sooner or later because they are so prominent in our society, so wouldn't it be better to hear it from a trusted source (parents)? I do understand, though, that it is difficult to educate your children on topics that you have a strong bias on, whether for or against the topic.
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I agree and disagree. We cannot shield them from the world forever, and it would be better if they heard it from their parents. But also, they are only children and are vulnerable to the outside world. There are topics that I do believe are appropriate for the classroom and some that are not. If the school's rules don't say anything against having a discussion about certain topics, then I believe that the teacher can go ahead. Parents are censoring every little thing that goes into their heads, as they should, but they need to relax and let some of the real world sink in too.
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