Censorship Threatens Education
Free speech is the cornerstone of American democracy. As such, it’s driven change that has been crucial to individual freedom. Freedom is brought about partly through education, which censorship threatens. Measures that diminish and censor education have been implemented nationwide and are actively threatening the quality of American education.
Censorship, as defined by the American Association of School Administrators, is “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials — on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of standards applied by the censor.”
While censorship can exist in many forms of media, books are often at the forefront of discussions about it. Some books that have been recently and historically challenged include “1984” by George Orwell, “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.
Censorship has become a prominent discussion in Florida, where recent legislation has ordered schools to remove certain books from schools, including “Gender Queer: A Memoir.” However, censorship simultaneously exists in other contexts.
Critical Race Theory, or CRT, has come under fire within education. It seeks to increase awareness of racial history and struggles and has recently been the subject of many debates. Since January 2021, 44 U.S. states have taken action against how schools can discuss CRT.
Censorship is dangerous to education. Learning about the topic of sexual orientation, which has been under fire in Florida, is crucial to the safety and health of LGBTQ+ youth. A survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that only a quarter of 13-17 year old LGBTQ+ youth feel safe in school. This can unequivocally be attributed to a reduction in materials that display different sexual orientations in schools, as seen through Florida’s recent legislation. Further, only 31% of LGBTQ+ students report that they feel comfortable expressing their gender identity at school.
Georgia has also taken action towards censorship. HB 1084 was passed in 2022, which bans nine concepts surrounding race. SB 226, also passed in 2022, makes it easier for Georgia schools to ban books. It also allows parents to submit complaints about other material presented in schools, not just books. Both policies send a grim message to students and prevent natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. These laws not only affect what books are allowed in libraries but also promote self-censorship in teachers, who fear for their jobs when trying to educate their students properly.
Education is crucial to understanding and freedom and is directly diminished by HB 1084 and SB 226. In addition to opposing similar legislation that exacerbates censorship, citizens can also support legislation and litigation that seeks to expand the scope of topics students and teachers can discuss in school. One example is a lawsuit the Southern Poverty Law Center, National Education Association and Georgia Association of Educators have filed against HB 1084.
Information is critical to education, and the erosion of access directly threatens its future. The Intercultural Development Research Association found four negative impacts often resulting from classroom censorship: weakened quality curriculum, lower school morale, limited real-world student learning and leadership opportunities and threats to students’ civil rights and safe school climates.
As antitrust theory states, open discussions are important to the ability of individuals to make educated decisions. This may apply similarly to freedom of information related to these open discussions. Cognitive dissonance is also known to help develop nuanced opinions that lead to more tolerant ideologies.
As in many states, anti-education ideologies have seeped into Georgia’s policies. We must take a stand against censorship that prevents free speech and reduces students’ ability to get a comprehensive education. A growing sense of fear is causing the issue and taking hold in students as they begin to feel less able to learn and share their opinions.
Censorship in schools is only the first step to diminishing the long-held rights that American citizens enjoy. The right to a comprehensive, free education is crucial to individual success and national success. Because of this, Georgia’s politicians must oppose efforts that diminish free speech in this way and support efforts to expand education.
Sarah Kate Maher, a second-year student at the University of Georgia studying in political science and public relations. She is a member of our voting rights group.