BY EMMA HUERTA
There’s no sugarcoating the situations in our world today. In spite of all of the positives, society can still be deemed chaotic in many respects. Every day, new issues– immigration, equality, gun control, et cetera– seem to be on the rise, while previous ones are still present in the midst of dragged out debates.
Although such controversial topics prove relevant in the world, school teachers and administrators tend to have restrictions on which of these topics they can discuss with their students, but this should not be the case.
Creating an engagement between students and wide-scale topics is crucial to knocking down the barriers between the classroom environment and reality.
Controversial topics should be brought up in schools because of the stark implications these conversations can bring. They would educate students, producing active citizens of the future and consequently improving the discussions of these issues. But these conversations would also teach students important skills they can apply to other problems in their lives.
Creating an engagement between students and wide-scale topics is crucial to knocking down the barriers between the classroom environment and reality. Students’ connection to current events– no matter their controversy– represents that the classroom is, in actuality, not separated from important events in society. This proves to benefit the entire classroom since students can bring any issues concerning them to the table in this open-minded setting.
Because of how significant these modern-day issues are to society as a whole, students often obtain a glimpse of these matters– either because they have simply heard of them on television or the internet, or because they have been directly affected by them.
By adequately exposing students to significant issues, they can become more aware of the society that they will soon be a part of.
As a result of the widespread discussion of these topics, inaccurate information can often be shared with young people. But in a classroom setting, teachers are careful with the information they provide to students and try to present the issues at hand in an unbiased way.
Introducing important topics to youth in the neutral setting of a classroom gives them the opportunity to absorb critical information and make their own well-formed opinions.
By adequately exposing students to significant issues, they can become more aware of the society that they will soon be a part of. While also educating the students, providing this type of education in the classroom helps to defuse tensions surrounding the topics by encouraging conversations about them. The students can take the information taught to them in class and apply it to what is occurring in the real world, while adding their own thoughts and perspectives.
Promoting the discussion of these subjects within classrooms facilitates the formation of knowledgeable and active citizens. As young adults, students would have the foundational information about impactful matters and would be able to make their own decisions about them.
Bringing controversial but relevant issues to the classroom will familiarize students with current events from a young age and make them more inspired to make a difference in the future. Students will be more inclined to fulfill their civic duty of taking action if they are taught in the classroom that their voices can and will be heard. In the future, they may even be the ones inciting change surrounding the issues.
Teaching controversial, yet highly relevant information in classrooms can have significant implications for students and their futures.
Discussing difficult topics in classrooms not only helps to educate students on the circumstances of the given topic, but also helps students develop skills that they can use in other aspects of their lives.
For instance, this discussion of controversial issues helps students form their own opinions and perspectives, while also showing them how to accept others’ points of view. Now, as well as in the future, students can apply these new skills to day-to-day interactions, aiding in the successful exchange of ideas.
Teaching controversial, yet highly relevant information in classrooms can have significant implications for students and their futures. Having these meaningful discussions can better students’ social skills, involvement as citizens and comprehension of the issues at hand. Teachers shouldn’t be restricted from bringing these issues to students and letting them share their different perspectives with each other; it will make a lasting difference on students and society.
Photo by Alexa Jaspan
