The Week posted an article about banned subjects on standardized tests in New York City. Ridiculous or amusing they were – I most certainly cannot decide – but I thought they had a point for their bans (surprisingly!) See for yourself!
Here, a look at 11 of the blacklisted topics, and why they might have been deemed problematic:
1. Birthdays
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays2. Dinosaurs
Some students don’t believe in evolution3. Halloween
Suggests paganism4. Religious holidays and festivals
Could offend students who don’t celebrate one or more of the holidays5. TV, celebrities, and video games
To “avoid giving offense or disadvantage any test takers by privileging prior knowledge” like pop culture, Robert Pondiscio at the Core Knowledge Foundation tells the New York Post.6. Computers in the home
Not all students have computers at home7. Homes with swimming pools
Words that suggest wealth could make lower-income students jealous8. Homelessness, poverty, and loss of employment
Words that suggest hardship “could evoke unpleasant emotions in students”9. Dancing (except ballet, which is alright)
See: Footloose10. Terrorism
Too scary for some students11. “Creatures from outer space”
Perhaps the school district read about the Washington, D.C., teacher fired this month for a math test featuring, among other stomach-turners, “bloodthirsty aliens” who “sucked the blood of 828 teachers and left them for dead,” then “tied up the rest of the teachers and marched them into 3 UFOs.”
