Censorship In Schools

Censorship in school libraries is just about everywhere but it really shouldn’t be. This topic tends to be very controversial as many people believe that censorship in schools doesn’t allow children to have free thought, but others believe that schools need to shelter children from inappropriate content that could be harmful to them. In a survey conducted over the issue, a majority of the 37 seventh graders defined censorship as a limitation of content because of its inappropriate content (Survey Planet). Some of the most important reasons censorship needs to be stopped are that students are limited to little information, students learn to think for themselves, and there are tons of books out there about new ideas yet to be explored by students.

Parents’ involvement is also a debated topic. Some parents believe that since they are taxpayers and they are raising their children, they should have the sole right to decide what is available to a student in a school library, but one can easily argue that things one parent does not wish their child to see is not necessarily viewed the same by all parents (Leigh). Especially with certain topics like religion. Some parents might think that religious materials should be acceptable if they want their children to grow up to be more open-minded about those topics but others prioritize their children’s safety. So a child shouldn’t be restricted because of another parent’s wishes. A simple solution would be for parents to individually talk to their children about what they are and are not allowed to see when visiting a library so that no one else has to unnecessarily be affected. Another significant reason that censorship needs to be abolished in school libraries is because students develop most of their character at school and when students don’t get access to all topics it can completely affect how they feel about it in the

That ugly things cancel out everything beautiful.” Continuing with the example of Harry Potter, the series also promotes the ideas of selflessness and love which are two traits that can greatly affect who someone grows up to be. This situation is reflected in the aforementioned quote too. Also, children that learn earlier on about sensitive issues tend to be open-minded about them and have a broader understanding of them (Hallman). Similarly, in an interview with Chetan Chauhan, a college student, he said that he thinks that with being able to read books with different views you can learn more about the issues and be able to form your own ideas (Chauhan). Furthermore, these books often teach children what is morally right and how to be the best they can be. Lastly, some of the most censored books are the ones that contain new ideas and concepts for people. According to Kathy Manno, a school librarian, one of the most common reasons for something to be censored was if the content was mystical or creepy which for most people would fit under the category of new