Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is under review by a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) committee after a parent filed a complaint that the book was anti-religious fundamentalism and anti-women, the Toronto Star reported Jan. 14.
Robert Edwards raised the issue after his son was assigned Atwood’s novel in a grade 12 English class at Lawrence Park Collegiate, saying some of the book’s language isn’t allowed in the school hallways and, therefore, shouldn’t be discussed in the classroom.
The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a futuristic world controlled by a theocratic regime in which women are bred as sex slaves.
A nine-member committee—made up of librarians, teachers, curriculum experts, the school principal and a community member—will review the novel and make a recommendation to the TDSB’s education director, said Melanie Parrack, TDSB executive superintendent of student success and committee chair. The book may be pulled from the curriculum.
Edwards’ misguided effort sets a poor example for the Grade 12 students by suggesting that uncomfortable issues should be ignored rather than critically debated.
Banning a book from the classroom doesn’t get rid of the contentious issues it raises; it simply moves them to an informal sphere where balanced discussion may be stifled in favour of one-sided opinions.
A classroom, on the other hand, is a safe space for students to engage with material in a moderated discussion.
Although Atwood’s novel contains language some find offensive, she uses it in order to raise questions about women’s subjugation; whether or not she’s successful is something to be debated in class, not for a parent to unilaterally decide.
Edwards discredits the students’ ability to differentiate between fiction and reality.
By saying he wants the school board to use what’s appropriate in the hallways as a measure of what should be studied, Edwards upholds a precarious standard that limits most literature dealing with any social justice issue.
If parents are concerned about what their children are learning, they should raise complaints on an individual basis rather than seek out a board-wide ban. Perhaps Edwards, who likely hasn’t read the book, should do so and discuss it with his son.
School curricula are deliberately created by experts and shouldn’t be subject to the unfounded whims of a disgruntled parent.
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