2022s
Banning more than just Books
Banning books in schools presents more significant problems than simply not adequately preparing students for college. A recent article in Inside Higher Ed highlights a few of the possible outcomes of banning books in high school, including lack of college readiness and a stifled passion for reading. The report focuses on the efforts of conservative groups to ban books that do not fit their conservative worldview, including books like Gender Queer: A Memoir or Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.
While the topic presented is critically important to the future of our free society, the author falls short by making the discussion more about conservative politics than the banning of books. The reality is that both the far right (as noted in this article) and the far left have been busy banning books. Teachers in California, for example, were barred from using To Kill A Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and others in lesson plans in an effort to keep students from harm.
In context to education and a free society, the goal of this article should not be to point fingers or take sides but rather to be unified in the concept that banning books is generally a bad idea. History has shown this to be true. Words are not violence, and books are not triggers. We need to encourage students to read books of all perspectives. More importantly, we need to encourage students to read books that challenge what they think, to force them to explore their preconceived notions and ideas. Educators cannot do that if the very books they need to expand the minds of their students are not allowed in their curriculum. Further, sheltering students from the realities of the world by not allowing them to read conflicting or unpopular views will not prepare them for life. This problem is not a problem of left versus right or conservative versus liberal, this is a problem of freedom versus censorship and right versus wrong.
Is Gainful Employment the only Metric?
This linked article on the Biden Administration’s intent on bringing Obama’s Gainful Employment rule back into play for for-profit universities is fascinating. As a general rule, these universities have had a history of not making the gainful employment standard. This situation leaves students in debt and without the salary necessary to repay their debts. This problem also leaves taxpayers holding the debt when the students can’t repay it.
Protecting students is essential, without a doubt. Making sure that they get the education they pay for and then translate it into increased income is an integral part of that equation. However, this article overlooks some critical facts in discussing the details of the rule. For example, the article points out that the for-profit universities that this rule targets only account for “5 percent of students in higher education.” Given this minimal impact, I wonder if this rule is going far enough or possibly targeting the wrong group of educators with penalties.
Under the new legislation, “all institutions would have to report how their programs fare in comparisons of students' earnings with their debts, though the penalties would apply only to career programs and those offered at for-profit colleges.” If 95 percent of students attend non-profit public institutions, wouldn’t targeting those institutions be more impactful? Why target a fraction of the institutions accountable for helping students rack up debt.
I am a supporter of higher education in all forms. Colleges and universities have real value and provide students with much more than a simple debt to repay. Much of the value received by students is intangible. You cannot simply boil education down to the salary received by the student post-education. An educated population has a more significant benefit than simply higher salaries. This legislation tries to solve a problem by looking at one factor out of many. Doing so reduces the value of education to nothing more than dollars and cents.
A Prayer for Clarity
I’m always looking for helpful prayers and motivational tidbits for my students. I found this prayer today and thought many of my students might find it useful:
Lord Jesus, You have assured us that You are not the author of confusion. With confusion comes a lack of clarity, and with a lack of clarity, there is always a distraction and a feeling of hopelessness. Therefore, I ask You to make me sharp and quick-witted. Help me to focus and tease apart messy situations so that I can be of use to others and help resolve problems. In Your almighty name, I pray. Amen.
Maybe someone else could use some clarity as well.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. '
