NOT IN OUR SCHOOLS?: SCHOOL BOOK CENSORSHIP IN CANADA; A DISCUSSION GUIDE
Judith Dick.
Volume 10 Number 4.
Ever since Socrates drank the hemlock, censorship has put a sour taste in many mouths. The acceptance that some degree of restriction is necessary, and particularly so with materials used in schools, brings with it the need to ensure that such restriction is reasonable and does not entail an evil effect greater than that it seeks to remedy. In this discussion guide, Judith Dick takes a broad look at the various aspects of school materials that might be considered offensive, determines the main protagonists in school book controversies, considers the alternative ways in which challenged materials can be handled, and suggests how concerned people should respond to the problem. The author underlines the need for schools to have a clear set of procedures for dealing with matters of censorship. In particular, she puts forward a plea for an end to confrontation and a diversion of such energies to the more constructive task of improving the quality of educational materials. The book has a number of interesting appendices that, in most cases, provide model procedures or guidelines for dealing with problems relating to materials selection. There is also an extensive bibliography that will be useful for those readers seeking more detailed information. The text contains a number of short articles, most accompanied by questions for further discussion. The author has included several very appropriate quotations, including some from Paul's Epistle to the Philippians. A further quotation from the same source that could describe one of the book's conclusions can be found in Chapter 2, Verse 14: "Do all things without mur-murings and disputings." Recommended for professional use in school libraries.
John D. Crawford, Frank Hobbs J. H. S., Victoria, BC. |
1971-1979 | 1980-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995
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