Topic: Censorship

10-second review: A side-effect of censorship incidents is self-censorship.

Title: “Seeing with the Third Eye.” Lloyd Alexander. English Journal (May 1974), 38. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Quote: “Censorship, once begun, is hard to contain. It can soon spread to include any idea or attitude the censors find objectionable. At worst, it can lead to something even more pernicious: self-censorship.”

Comment: Don’t forget the “basics” of preparation for censorship incidents:

1. Policy on book selection.

2. Rationales for literary works, controversial or non-controversial, since no one cannot predict what will be censored.

3. Questionnaire to be completed by the person objecting to a book.

4. Committee consisting of administrators, teachers, parents and older students to determine disposition of the book or recommendation to the school board.

Information on all of this can be found at the Web site of the National Council of Teachers of English, ncte.org. RayS.

The purpose of this blog, English Education Archives, is to review articles of contemporary interest from past issues of English education journals.