Controversial Topics And Education
Controversial Topics And Education
How would you feel knowing that controversial issues aren’t being taught in schools and by failing to do so it's harming future generations? Some people might argue that they want their teenagers to be learning about controversial issues in high schools and some may not. The truth of the matter is that school curricula have been focused on teaching students about content, and how to memorize information. It's time that it gets changed due to the fact that teenagers aren’t learning anything from the curriculum that is set in place now because it’s not beneficial to the students and they won’t be gaining any life skills from it. To be specific, “In K-12 public schools, the local school board has the authority to set the curriculum, and teachers must adhere to it, as well as following all state and school board regulations” (Underwood). This conveys that even teachers don’t have a say in the curriculum that is put in place and that is detrimental for students and their education because they aren’t learning anything useful. In recent years, schools attempted to be more inclusive in their curricular choices by introducing marginalized communities to the curriculum and by doing that it allowed students to know more about communities that were facing discrimination due to their race or sexual orientation. In our society today, there’s a nationwide pushback on controversial issues because it will cause conflicts between parents and their beliefs, but on the other hand schools are trying to make students aware of marginalized communities so, why should controversial issues not be talked about in schools? Although some may argue that controversial topics shouldn’t be taught in high schools because it will cause a divide between students and their beliefs in the classroom, but students should be able to know what’s going on in our society today and by students knowing what's going on in our society it can better our country as a whole.
High schools should be teaching controversial topics in the curriculum because it allows students to explore different perspectives people may have on the topics, it encourages reasoning and conceptualizing, and it increases political interest and participation within our democracy. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley points out that today in our society we are getting controlled by the government and education. In an article it says, “Over time unbelievers came along and deceitfully took control of education from parents. Result: What was once a land of freedom and liberty gradually has become a nation largely controlled by big government” (Nesbit). This shows that our government has control in the education system and the students aren’t allowed to have a say in the curriculum. Evidently, students are going to endure problems from not learning about controversial topics because they will be ruining their future and they won’t have a say in the issues that are going on in our country. In the book, the children are being controlled with hypnopaedia, which is learning while sleeping and they are only learning what the government wants them to learn and nothing else. For instance, “I do love flying, I do love having new clothes, I do love…” (48). This demonstrates how the children are reciting hypnopaedia phrases because it’s how they learn and how they are conditioned in the world state. Likewise, the children aren’t able to have a mind of their own because the government is controlling what they learn and they are getting brainwashed. This relates back to controversial topics because the government does take control of the curriculum that is in high schools and by doing that students are getting shied away from the issues at hand and the children are missing out on opportunities to analyze these challenges that the country is currently facing today. Students will benefit from learning about controversial topics because it’s relevant to their lives and it’s being publicized more and more, making students aware of it.
Teenagers should get exposed to controversial topics in schools because it allows them to discover different perspectives on the issues and find legitimate information about it. The students will be able to hear each other's views on the issues and it will create class discussion in the classroom and get the students to participate. An article from Brown University states, “Students also gain opportunities to share ideas, listen carefully to their peers, and practice being open to and respectful of others’ viewpoints. Building knowledge and civil discourse skills are essential for effective participation in our democracy” (“Teaching About Controversial Issues: A Resource Guide”). This means that by teaching teens controversial issues they are able to gain more information and engage with our democracy. Also, they are able to address their opinions on the issues and talk about it among classmates. This proves that teenagers would have a better understanding on controversial topics because they are able to communicate their ideas and thoughts with classmates and relate their perspectives on the issues with one another. Implementing controversial topics in the curriculum lets students uncover different outlooks in our society. Furthermore people feel that,
“Many teachers worry about bringing controversy into the classroom because it could spark conflict between students or result in approaches from administrators or parents but addressing and thinking through divisive issues is necessary for children who are learning to live, participate, and empathize with diverse perspectives in a democracy” (Boudreau).
In other words, students can seek more diverse perspectives by learning about controversial topics because people will be sharing their views on the topics making it different from everyone else's views. This context of implementing controversial topics in high school curriculums is significant because students are able to embrace what they feel about the topics and share any insight they may have on it with their classmates, making everyone contribute to the conversation. Students are able to hear their fellow classmates' stances on controversial topics and it makes students rethink their own perspectives based on what their classmates have experienced and they can see how it might be different from their own experiences. Clearly, “More than anything, listening to someone else's viewpoint helps you to refine your own. After hearing my classmates' thoughts, I began to see how their life experiences differed from mine and how those experiences might influence which presidential candidates they preferred” (Denmon). This article explains that controversial topics promote students into listening to their classmates' viewpoints and they can learn how people's views are influenced by their experiences that they have faced. The significance of the situation is that by allowing high schools to administer controversial topics in the curriculum it will open doors for class discussion and it will be beneficial for students in the future. All in all, schools should teach controversial topics because students will learn better because they have an understanding about controversial topics due to the fact that it permits them to examine different points of views people may have on the topics.
Controversial topics in high school curriculums will serve as a way to allow students to voice their opinions and be able to use their critical thinking skills to elaborate more on the topics. Parents even argue that, “At the top of the list, 97% of adults (98% D, 97% R) think high school students should be learning how to be critical thinkers by learning to analyze a problem, think about solutions, and argue for a particular solution” (Saavedra). This indicates that parents feel it’s necessary for their children to learn about controversial topics because they will be able to evaluate and interpret ideas and problems that the world is facing today. Similarly, students will be able to improve their critical thinking skills and they will be able to draw conclusions from facts that are presented to them from the issues. When discussing controversial topics in schools, “Debates give students a platform where they can disagree about certain controversial issues or topics without personally attacking each other” (“Why Controversial Issues Should Be Debated About In The Classroom”). This implies that by students sharing their own personal opinions about the topics they are able to develop critical thinking skills and they are able to better understand their classmates from the opinions they have. In the same way, students will benefit from this because they will get to interact with their peers and get to know what their peers have encountered and how those experiences have impacted the way they feel about the hot button issues. In addition, “It cultivates civic reasoning and discourse, which embody the skills, understandings, and habits required of democratic citizens” (Pace). This explains that by adding controversial topics into the curriculum it helps students build their thinking skills and assess data. Equally, students will be able to obtain more knowledge because they are using their critical thinking skills and reasoning. In short, students can express their views and opinions when learning controversial issues and it gives students the ability to analyze information with their intellectual development skills.
Adding controversial topics to the curriculum will make students be able to understand the world we are living in today and it will make students want to participate in our democracy, making them get involved in our society and find ways that they can help. The article states that, “Persuading others and being open to listening are key skills in a democracy, and key skills in a discussion. Controversial issues discussions may be the best model schools can offer for how democracy should work” (Ganzler). This shows that by giving students the opportunity to learn about controversial issues it allows them to engage in our democracy and it shows students how a democracy is supposed to be and how having controversy can be helpful in a democracy as well. Likewise, students will get an appreciation for our democracy because they will be able to understand how the government operates. It’s important to know that, “This country works best when its citizens are both informed and participate” (Ganzler). This means that by students learning controversial topics they will be more educated about our democracy and they will help improve our democracy because they are participating in it. Also, it will make students have an interest in learning about what’s going on in our democracy. In an article it emphasizes that, “When teachers talk about current events and allow students to debate controversy, we offer them a chance to see the connection between themselves and the world out there” (“Why Controversial Issues Should Be Debated About In The Classroom”). This means that by teaching controversial topics in schools it has its benefits because students will get a sense of what’s going on in our society and be in the know of it. In other words, by authorizing controversial topics in the curriculum students will be able to debate with one another and it allows them to see how we can enhance our education by implementing controversial topics. To conclude, implementing controversial issues to the curriculum will provide students with the opportunity to engage with our democracy and government. Also, they will be able to see how controversial topics impact their lives and by learning from it, they will have more knowledge on it.
Teaching controversial topics in high schools will better our society and make students aware of what is happening in our society. Being able to have students know what is going on in our society is valuable because they will be able to better maintain our democracy and better the future for generations to come. Lastly, controversial topics increase students using their critical thinking skills in the classroom. While some may argue that teaching controversial topics can cause arguments between parents and schools because parents might not agree with what the schools are trying to teach, this is inaccurate because students will be able to voice their own opinions on the topics and students will respect each other's opinions and ideas on the issues. Ultimately, controversial topics serve as a way for students to get involved with major issues happening in our country and find solutions to those issues.
Works Cited
Boudreau, Emily. “You Want to Teach What?” Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2 Feb. 2022, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/22/02/you-want-teach-what.
Content, Branded. “Why Controversial Issues Should Be Debated about in the Classroom.” The Daily of the University of Washington, 15 Aug. 2022, https://www.dailyuw.com/ask_the_experts/why-controversial-issues-should-be-debated-about-in-the-classroom/article_16626594-77b5-11eb-b968-c312e98a75d3.html.
Denmon, Noa. "Is It OK to Talk Politics in Class? Some school administrators say political talk is too controversial for the classroom. Are they right, or should students discuss the election in class? Two Choices advisers weigh in." Choices/Current Health, vol. 36, no. 2, Oct. 2020, pp. 2+. Gale General OneFile, link-gale-w9ba.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A640718560/ITOF?u=nysl_li_harb&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a5692310. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.
Ganzler, Louis. “Confronting Controversial Issues in the Classroom.” American Bar Association, 3 Aug. 2022, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/programs/cornerstones-of-democracy/confronting-controversial-issues-in-the-classroom/.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Harper Brothers, 2006
Nesbit, Bob. "Change in schools." The New American, vol. 27, no. 23, 5 Dec. 2011, p. 5. Gale General OneFile, link-gale-w9ba.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A275853409/ITOF?u=nysl_li_harb&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e3842b81. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
Pace, Judith L., et al. “Teaching Controversial Issues When Democracy Is under Attack.” Brookings, Brookings, 9 Mar. 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2022/01/31/teaching-controversial-issues-when-democracy-is-under-attack/.
Saavedra, Anna, et al. “Survey: Americans Broadly Support Teaching about (Most) Controversial Topics in the Classroom.” Brookings, Brookings, 20 Dec. 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2022/10/20/americans-broadly-support-teaching-about-most-controversial-topics-in-the-classroom/.
“Teaching about Controversial Issues: A Resource Guide.” Choices Program, 31 Jan. 2022, https://www.choices.edu/teaching-news-lesson/teaching-about-controversial-issues-a-resource-guide/#:~:text=By%20teaching%20about%20controversial%20issues,and%20respectful%20of%20others%27%20viewpoints.
Underwood, Julie. "School districts control teachers' classroom speech: School boards set the curriculum for schools, and they have the legal right to decide what materials and speech are appropriate for the classroom." Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 99, no. 4, Dec. 2017, p. 76. Gale General OneFile, link-gale-w9ba.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A538859306/ITOF?u=nysl_li_harb&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d987aa0d. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.