31 July 2022
Book Banning Vs In Loco Parentis
Book banning has become a frequent method used by parents and politicians seeking their votes to exert control over the education of their children. This trend reflects the changed relative education levels between parents and elementary and secondary school teachers in recent decades.
When baby boomers and their ancestors raised their families, they willingly deferred to the curricular judgement of their children’s teachers, who usually were more highly educated than they. In the 21st Century, that educational balance has changed, at least in the parents’ perception. Parent-teacher discussions have curiously been transformed from sessions concerning pupil behavior to disagreements over curriculum choices.
Book banning, therefore, is not really a freedom of thought issue; it is a matter of returning responsibility for shaping the future of society to biology rather than delegating it to the community. Winning voters with children, therefore, is the goal of school book banning. Right-wing conservatives have made a thoughtful decision that parents are a more numerous and perhaps richer source of support than the teacher unions.
