New Hampshire’s legislature continuously neglects public education yet has introduced a bill that aims to micromanage materials inside the classroom.
Senate Bill 434 is named the “Right to Challenge Act”, allowing parents or guardians to request removal of public school materials that are ‘harmful to minors.’
Unlike previous proposed book bans, this bill would include ‘any printed matter, visual presentation, web-based content, live performance, or sound recording’.
The Equinox believes this bill contributes to the censorship movement and its attempts to control children’s education.
Conservative lawmakers have shown immense support for free speech but this bill and other recent legislation only seem to limit it. The hypocrisy is almost laughable.
A Parental Bill of Rights was signed into law last year, which ‘ensures parents are the central voice in their children’s education,’ according to a press release from Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
While parents absolutely have a say in the learning environment of their child, this bill would allow materials to be removed for all students. Students are often already sent home with permission slips that their parent or guardian is required to sign. If they do not want their child participating in or learning about a specific topic, the student may be given an alternate activity.
Parents can only shelter their child for so long. Eventually, we grow up and learn what Annie meant by “It’s The Hard Knock Life.” Students of all ages are still going to seek out banned material for the sake of rebellion or simple interest in the topic. No matter the age, students deserve the opportunity to think for themselves and have interests that lie outside their families.
If parents want full control over their child’s education, they should consider homeschooling or getting a teaching license. Until then, parents should allow teachers to do their job instead of trying to dictate curriculum without the experience or credentials to make informed decisions.
No specific material was named in the bill, but past book bans in the country have targeted books about race, gender, sexuality and even pieces of history.
There is a substantial lack of evidence suggesting that there is in fact “material that might have accidentally gotten through and was inappropriate,” according to a supporter of the bill Republican State Senator Tim Lang.
According to ABC News, 35 states have signed or proposed legislation to restrict teaching on critical race theory.
“Teachers and advocates add that limiting what content students can consume could limit their understanding of the world and prevent them from learning perspectives they deserve to understand,” according to WMUR.
Students must be taught the history of our country with full transparency, which includes learning about different human rights movements and the racism that is deeply embedded in the roots of America. Failure to do so is blatant censorship and sends us back decades of progress.
Another bill that was introduced on the federal level will prohibit funding for any program or activity that provides or promotes ‘sexually oriented material’ to minors.
It is clear to us that the vague language found in these proposed bills would allow personal bias to control a child’s education.
If this bill is passed, there will come a point where important curriculum is not being taught to all students because of some parents’ bias.
Instead of removing materials from public schools, students should be taught about sensitive topics, allowing room for discussion and helping them to understand.
