Censorship Issues Today

Today’s society poses both continuing and new issues concerning censorship such as; should schools censor material on the Internet to prevent children from seeing it? Discussing censorship with elementary students is an area that is inherently controversial, yet no study of speech and press can avoid it, and elementary student should understand the difficulties of balancing the individual’s free speech rights with societal values such as decency and concerns to shield children from obscenity, violence, and racism. This project strongly cautions any teacher not to permit students to bring to school (or access on the computer) any potentially offensive materials, even though the intent may be simply to contribute to the discussion. With the increasing presence of computers in the classroom (and access to the Internet) questions of free speech and censorship are again at center stage. Most school districts have policies concerning the use of school computers. A recent Supreme Court case (Reno v. ACLU) dealt with issues of children and obscene material on the Internet.

1. Identify the conflicting values represented by the different groups/people.
2. Explain the arguments that the various groups made.
3. Take a position on which solution will best satisfy the values of the most people.

Handout 7A "School Committee Hearing on Censorship and the Internet;" Handout 7B "School Committee Member Platforms;" Handout 7C "School Committee Witnesses"

1-2 class periods

Explain how schools are public institutions and therefore subject to the strictures of the Constitution.
Explain what in loco parentis means.

Distribute Handout 7B "School Committee Member Platforms"

Give a background of how a school committee meeting is run.

Distribute Handout 7B "School Committee Member Platforms"

Select six students to serve on the committee. Each student will represent a committee member. Choose one committee member to act as the chairperson who presents a balanced view. The entire class should read and study the platforms of the committee members by themselves. These platforms will not be read aloud. Each student selected to be a committee member will at all times during the hearing perform his/her role based on his/her platform.

Select one student to serve as the recorder who will keep a record of the proceedings and present a review of the recommendations.

Have students explain their answers to the following questions:

Distribute Handout 7C, "School Committee Witnesses"

Select four groups of students to serve as the witnesses. Have them select a spokesperson. Any student who has not been assigned a role as a legislator, witness or recorder will be assigned a role as a constituent of one of the witnesses. Constituents will observe the hearing. Before the hearing is adjourned the committee will consider alternative policies and make recommendations.

After the hearing has been adjourned, have students explain their answers to the following questions.

• Do you think there will be more or fewer problems in the future when it comes to setting up computer use policies in schools? Explain.

Based on multiple intelligence theory.

Linguistic: After students have participated in the school committee meeting, have them write a school board policy statement on the use of the Internet. The policy statement should include all rules and restrictions regarding Internet use.

Logical/Mathematical: Have students analyze the arguments of the four witnesses and rank them from strongest to the weakest.

Kinesthetic: Have students role-play a panel discussion about the use of the Internet in school. Based on the arguments presented in the lesson, members of the panel should exchange ideas and the rest of the class should question the panel.

Intrapersonal: Ask students how they would feel if they discovered a friend viewing pornographic material on the Internet. Then ask students if they think the friend is wrong and if they would tell the friend how they feel. Would students tell the friend's parents? Why? Why not?

Interpersonal: Divide the class into groups of equal size and have the groups identify the two best reasons not to put limits on internet use in school and the two best reasons to put limits on its use.

Conduct the school committee hearing using the following procedures:

• The committee chairperson calls the legislative hearing to order, announces the purpose of the hearing, and calls the witnesses to testify.
• Witnesses are called and permitted a set amount of time to present an opening statement, which is followed by questions from members of the committee. The chairperson is the first to question the witness, followed by each of the other members of the committee. A committee member may interrupt to ask a question or make a comment at any time during the proceedings. The following time limits are suggested from two to five minutes for a witness's opening statement and from five to ten minutes for a legislator's questioning.
• After the witnesses have been heard, members of the committee review the testimony, discuss the problem, and make recommendations, or decide what their next step shall be.

Each student who has been assigned the role of a committee member will become completely familiar with the member’s platform. The committee members will not make a formal statement, but will ask questions of witnesses, make comments and determine policy based on this platform.

The following school committee members will form the committee: (Students insert their names)

School Committee Member #1: Name: _____________________________

Platform: There should be no access at all to the Internet from school computers. Too many controversial web sites exit. In order to prevent students from seeing these bad web sites, the schools should have a policy of NEVER using school computers to access the Internet. If students want to use the Internet they can do it at home where their parents can supervise them.

School Committee Member #2: Name: _____________________________

Platform: This committee member believes that there should be no restrictions at all on student access to the Internet from school computers. This member argues that students are bright enough to know that they shouldn’t be looking at inappropriate web sites and that even if they did it won’t cause them to act or think improperly.

School Committee Member #3: Name: _____________________________

Platform: This member is in favor of restricting access to some very limited parts of the Internet from school computers. This member wants the school to allow students to access on all sites except those that are found offensive by parents, teachers, or other students. A list of the forbidden sites would be updated regularly.

School Committee Member #4: Name: _____________________________

Platform: This member supports some restrictions on student access to the Internet on school computers but believes the school should purchase filtering software which will automatically block out certain web sites that might be offensive.

School Committee Member #5: Name: _____________________________

Platform: This member wants unlimited access to all Internet sites from school computers IF the students receive permission from their parents. If the parents do not give permission then those students cannot use the school computers to explore the Internet.

School Committee Member #6 (Chairperson): Name: _____________________________

Platform: This member is undecided on this issue. He/She is willing to listen to all the arguments and make an informed decision based on how persuasive the arguments are on each side.

Each of the following groups of witnesses will make an opening statement before the committees. They will then be subject to questions and comments from the committee members.

Group 1: This group consists of those parents who don’t want their children exposed to anything that they consider harmful. The group also has clergy (religious leaders) who are against web sites that they believe do not represent their religious values. Some people in this group favor filtering software, which would keep certain web sites from being accessed on school computers.

Comments, questions and answers from the school committee members

Group 2: This group is made of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) as well as parents who don’t want to put any restrictions on what their kids are exposed to on the Internet. These people think that students will make responsible decisions regarding what they view and read on the Internet.

Comments, questions and answers from the school committee members

Group 3: This group is made up of policemen, firemen and city workers who don’t want children to be influenced by web sites which could lead them to commit crimes, perform unsafe activities or destroy public property. They don’t mind them using the computer, but they think they should have supervision at all times.

Comments, questions and answers from the school committee members

Group 4: This group is made of computer teachers who want the students to be able to explore whatever they want to on the Internet. They argue that students without computers at home will be denied the right to explore the Internet if restrictions are placed on the school’s computers.

Comments, questions and answers from the school committee members

Constituents may now make brief comments.

After the witnesses have been heard, members of the committee will consider alternative policies with regard to censorship on the Internet and make recommendations.

The recorder will read the recommendations.

The hearing will be adjourned.