Sunday, September 25, 2005

Out Of Touch

I read an article about a play being canceled at a BC school. The play is about the murder of a gay university student named Matthew Shepard. The Surrey School Board said:

its depiction of sex, violence and foul language would not be appropriate for the potential audience.


Maybe so, but students already deal with these issues and see them in the media all the time.

"...It really comes down to the criteria for what's age appropriate in school productions," he said, noting students as young as 13 could have taken part.


Students "as young as 13" are already dealing with these types of issues. I took this quote from the blog profile of a 13 year old boy:

Interests: I like guys 13,14 or 15 They have to have gone through puberty an HOTTTTTTTTTT


Whether this young man behavior is 'inappropriate' or not he is dealing with issues that relate to the canceled play. If he was from Surrey the play would probably be a good thing for him to see. He might learn something that could save his life.

Parents and Teachers don't have to like educating students about homosexuality , birth control, safe sex, and other 'hot topics'. It is in their best interest, and the students, if they do. Knowledge is power and it can save kids from pregnancy, and AIDS, and other threats.

How can schools be relevant if they avoid what is important to their students?

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