A former Tory councillor has sparked outrage after trying to ban a novel from a school's reading list in Weymouth, Dorset. The book, "Pigeon English" by Stephen Kelman, was removed from the Year 10 curriculum after one parent objected, citing concerns over profane language and depictions of violence.
However, the author of both books, Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give", has spoken out against this move, saying that it is a worrying message to send. The novel explores themes of racial injustice and social inequality in America, which she believes are relevant to students' lives and should be discussed in schools.
In fact, Kelman's own book, which also deals with racism and violence, was hailed as an opportunity for teachers to engage their students on difficult topics. He has reported positive feedback from schools that have used his novel as a set text, citing its ability to spark important conversations about empathy, resilience, and critical thinking.
The author argues that avoiding uncomfortable content can lead to desensitization and a deficit of empathy, which is why books remain an essential tool for preparing young people to navigate the world's prevailing forces of discomfort and disorder. By guiding students through their emotions, teachers can help them find clarity of thought and create breeding grounds for empathy.
In contrast, attempts to avoid difficult topics often rely on performative bigotry and Labubus, which can only lead to tyranny and division. As Kelman notes, people denied the practice of sitting with their discomfort become desensitized to the discomfort of others, leading to a lack of understanding and empathy.
Ultimately, schools should provide students with opportunities to discuss challenging content in a safe and supportive environment, fostering a deeper understanding of the world and its complexities. By doing so, we can create a more informed, empathetic, and engaged citizenry, better equipped to tackle the challenges of our time.
However, the author of both books, Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give", has spoken out against this move, saying that it is a worrying message to send. The novel explores themes of racial injustice and social inequality in America, which she believes are relevant to students' lives and should be discussed in schools.
In fact, Kelman's own book, which also deals with racism and violence, was hailed as an opportunity for teachers to engage their students on difficult topics. He has reported positive feedback from schools that have used his novel as a set text, citing its ability to spark important conversations about empathy, resilience, and critical thinking.
The author argues that avoiding uncomfortable content can lead to desensitization and a deficit of empathy, which is why books remain an essential tool for preparing young people to navigate the world's prevailing forces of discomfort and disorder. By guiding students through their emotions, teachers can help them find clarity of thought and create breeding grounds for empathy.
In contrast, attempts to avoid difficult topics often rely on performative bigotry and Labubus, which can only lead to tyranny and division. As Kelman notes, people denied the practice of sitting with their discomfort become desensitized to the discomfort of others, leading to a lack of understanding and empathy.
Ultimately, schools should provide students with opportunities to discuss challenging content in a safe and supportive environment, fostering a deeper understanding of the world and its complexities. By doing so, we can create a more informed, empathetic, and engaged citizenry, better equipped to tackle the challenges of our time.
just heard about this crazy move to ban "Pigeon English" from a school's reading list! Like, what's next? Trying to ban books that talk about real issues like racism and violence? 
I'm all for having open and honest conversations with our kids, not trying to shield them from the harsh realities of life. Angie Thomas is totally right, by avoiding tough topics we're actually teaching our youth to be more desensitized and less empathetic 
. Can't let that happen! Schools should be places where students can explore complex issues, not just regurgitate what they've been told. This move is super worrying, like, what's the message we're trying to send? That we don't trust our kids to handle difficult content? 
I'm not surprised by this move at all 
. We're already living in a society where kids are being forced to conform to certain standards rather than be exposed to different perspectives. It's all about being PC and avoiding any controversy, but what's the point of educating them if they're just going to be shielded from the truth? 
. We need to stop coddling our kids and start pushing them to think critically about the world around them.
. The Hate U Give is a powerful book that needs to be discussed in schools, not banned. It's time we started having real conversations about racism, inequality, and social justice, rather than sugarcoating them or avoiding them altogether. 
I'm all for teachers having the freedom to choose what books they want their students to read, but some of these decisions can be super confusing... 
Our kids are going to grow up and face some tough stuff in this world. They need to be prepared, not sheltered from it. And trust me, if they can handle a little bit of profane language and graphic descriptions, they can definitely handle discussions about racism and social inequality. 
And yeah, avoiding uncomfortable content just makes things worse in the long run... like, people get desensitized to everything and suddenly they're all mad at everyone else for being uncomfortable too 
.
. We need to teach our youth how to navigate the complexities of life, not shelter them from uncomfortable truths. It's all about empathy, fam 
... or lack thereof 
it's only gonna make things worse. We need kids to be able to have tough conversations about racism, police brutality & social inequality. Anything less is just a cop-out 
. We need more Angie Thomases in our schools, not less 
️ uncomfortable truths and 
and understanding 
. schools should be safe spaces for students to explore their emotions and learn from each other's perspectives 
Like, hello, life's not all sunshine and rainbows, kids need to learn how to deal with some uncomfortable stuff. I mean, what's next? Banning 'To Kill a Mockingbird' because it mentions the N-word? 
. We should be teaching our kids empathy & critical thinking skills, not trying to shield them from the truth 
Schools should be about sparking conversations not suppressing them. Who's gonna educate kids about the world if they don't get exposed to uncomfortable truths? 
kelman's book may deal with tough stuff but at least it's honest and raw, it's not some watered down, sugarcoated nonsense 
we need more books like this in our schools, ones that make us uncomfortable but help us grow as humans 
i mean what's the harm in talking about racism and violence? we need to talk about these things if we wanna make a change 
and now they're just gonna sit with their own discomfort instead of learning how to empathize with others 
! like, isn't the point of education to make us think and feel uncomfortable sometimes? 
schools need to create spaces where kids can discuss tough topics without fear of judgment or reprisal 
- it might calm things down for a sec, but eventually, the issues just come back bigger and more intense. We need to face our problems head-on and learn from each other's experiences 
