Movie banning

The school system at Quince Orchard High School has devised a new plan on regulating the "age-appropriateness" of movies in classrooms and has, in effect, removed many titles that have been used for years. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Romeo and Juliet", "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Psycho" have been pulled from shelves because the leadership team"did not feel that it was necessary to show R-rated movies as part of the instructional program" (Sedam). The superintendents voted that all rated-R movies are officially banned and PG-13 movies can no longer be shown in middle schools, such as "Romeo and Juliet". Teachers aruge that these movies have never been controversial to use in the past and have helped students when the literature was too "risqué" to read. The leadership team that makes the decisions for the school district is comprised of three deputy superintendents, five associate superintendents, six community superintendents, three union presidents and other senior staff members including the superintendent’s chief of staff and the director of the Public Information Office (Sedam). Teachers argue, though, that they were not involved in this decision making process. The associate superintendent, Jody Leleck, says that there is no real advantage of movies in the classroom and they simply do not help kids better understand the curriculum. Teachers, though, feel that education is multi-faceted and this decision takes away the ability to use various teaching methods: ‘‘We’ve cut down on the number of spices that teachers can use in their lessons" (Blum).

When I read the article, I was floored because finally parents and teachers were on the same page. They did not want to see the movies pulled from the shelves, but the superintendents demanded that these new stringent rules be enacted. The opening paragraph aligns teachers and parents: "The school system has gone too far by pulling movies adapted from classic works of literature out of the classroom, some parents and teachers say" (Sadem). I thought, 'finally!' But then I read on...it is the higher administration that is pulling the plug on movies because it is not age-appropriate and they do not see the advantages of movies in the classroom. May I ask them, then, if they would rather the students read books with sexually explicit material? If they can do that, then something hypocritical is going on here. And since when is media not a useful tool in the classroom? Not only does it give a break to the regimented schedule, but it allows students to see that literature is not just a hobby inside the english classroom. People make movies because of its significance to the outside world. Without this connection, students do devalue literature. Plus, isn't media becoming highly common in classrooms, with I-Movies, computers, proxima use, etc.? How are movies exempt from this category? In addition, middle schoolers cannot watch PG-13 movies...why??? "Romeo and Juliet" is rated PG-13...so now they cannot watch that movie. How ridiculous! Do you think they are not watching rated-R movies at home and at the theatres? Instead of pretending like students are these innocent children who go home and do chores for 5 hours and are the most puritanical of all people, why not try to relate to them by showing a movie they have interest in? Are superintendents afraid they may enjoy it? How silly of an idea...

source: http://www.gazette.net/stories/120705/montedu192725_31903.shtml