MALIK: Students deserve holistic public education, voters must recognize this
Column: On the Good Life
With the upcoming state elections, one of the more pressing conversations has been public education. The operation of K-12 public education is a growing national topic, with Republican presidential candidates calling for the end of the Department of Education, intending to have states play a greater role in students' curricula.
At the same time, Conservatives are calling for greater control of student's education through bills like "Don't Say Gay" and continuous book bans based on content deemed inappropriate.
The "Don't Say Gay" bill passed this year in Florida for K-12 schools focused on prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, with very few exceptions. The looseness in defining "instruction," abcNEWS highlights, allows for a thin line between discussion and instruction — one that forces the existence of LGBTQ+ identities completely out of the classroom.
On the other hand, book bans are widely disliked, with more than 70 percent of voters positioning themselves against removing books from public libraries.
But groups that have fought to ban books apply pressure by "swarming school board meetings, demanding newfangled rating systems for libraries, using inflammatory language about 'grooming' and 'pornography,' and even filing criminal complaints against school officials, teachers and librarians" to reach their goals, according to PEN America.
The report went on to state that book bans have also included a focus "on misapplications of the academic term' critical race theory' to censor discussions of race and racism, over the past year, it morphed to include a heightened focus on LGBTQ+ issues and identities."
Despite hypocritical thoughts on whether the government should control education, the same reasonings and questions can be applied to delegating this power to local governments or at the behest of parents.
The general trend seems to be against minority groups' rights, removing their voices from the narrative entirely. This trend and growing political polarization clashes with younger generations' progressive values, which are seen as brainwashing tactics rather than a normal progression between generations.
Concerns over critical race theory and LGBTQ+ identities being discussed within classrooms have been identified by many as concerns over children being too young to handle information. The argument comes down to protection.
Protecting children from different identities or discussions of race in which white people may be seen as oppressors is at the top of the list. But there is a very thin line between protection and simply controlling children's narratives on the world and the opinions they can form. There is also a significant equivalence between control and limiting a student's ability to form opinions. It is a given that students need the ability to make their own decisions and understandings with the tools given to them, not taken away.
Growth is learning to navigate differences and substantiate claims, knowing what you believe is supported, and not blindly following previous perspectives. A limited curriculum may be the worst curriculum regarding students' mental growth.
In the name of safety, we are losing the ability to have our own dialogues and opinions. A controlled education is an effort to control your voice. While no one is saying that parents should not be concerned about their children's education, what must take place is worry over whether this is limiting children's mindsets and creating a more hostile environment.
The time spent in K-12 education is a time for learning and growth, but once students leave the classroom, they are ready to vote and civically engage with policies and government. Limiting viewpoints that are available to them takes away the tools to form a fully aware, nuanced opinion.
Education does not stop there. In college, we continue to form our own opinions, and it is crucial to have the ability to communicate with individuals of all perspectives and attempt to understand their viewpoints.
With recent, troubling events, it is increasingly important to vocalize and deeply understand viewpoints and consider the limitations of your education and even the media. We have to be willing to extend our empathy and understanding and make sure our votes go to something we are proud of, and we need the tools to be open to diverse viewpoints early on.
The role of K-12 education is vital in creating our ability to form opinions, as it gives us the tools to evaluate situations and think critically. The efforts to limit this ability are incredibly dangerous and should be treated as such. It is time to make more of an effort to question the extent to which our views have been limited and allow the youth who will be our future to do the same.
Sehar Malik is a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry and minoring in French. Her column, "On the Good Life," runs on alternate Sundays.
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