Fixing Internet Censorship In Schools

jcatcw writes "Schools and libraries are hurting students by setting up heavy-handed Web filtering. The problem goes back for years. A filter blocked the Web site of former House Majority Leader Richard Armey because it detected the word 'dick,' according to a 2001 study from the Brennan Center of Justice. The purpose of schools should be to teach students to live in a democratic society, and that means teaching critical thinking and showing students controversial Web sites, says Craig Cunningham, a professor at National-Louis University. He quoted from a National Research Council study: 'Swimming pools can be dangerous for children. To protect them, one can install locks ... [or] teach them to swim.' Web filtering also leads to inequities in education based on household income. Students from more affluent areas have access to the Internet at home and, often, more enlightened parents who can let them access information blocked in schools and libraries. Poorer students without home access don't have those opportunities."

Re:but

[Hardolaf]

I'm one of those children and the web filters are annoying when trying to research topics such as caffeine addiction.

an excellent argument...

[gandhi_2]

...from someone who doesn't work for a school district, nor will be crucified by the politicians, school board (who are politicians), parents, and news media when little johnny pulls up something "objectionable".

actually people loose their actual careers over this kinda stuff.... you have to at least *try* to filter.

Re:I disagree with your premise

[Marc Desrochers]

... satisfy the Amish.

Re:bad analogy?

[Locke2005]

Different analogy: In the US, kids today are not allowed to even taste alcohol until they move out of their parents homes and into college dorms, upon which time most immediately start engaging in binge drinking because they have never learned what their limits are with respect to alcohol. Societies wherein children regularly imbibe wine with their parents during meals have far fewer problems with alcoholism. Want to really education your child? Take him/her out and get them totally puking drunk just once, then videotape them (and don't go easy on them). Show them the video as soon as they sober up. They'll learn how stupid they look after drinking, and they'll probably never touch whatever they got puking drunk on again (our instincts are to stay away from anything that makes us throw up).

With regards to the internet, they will inevitably see inappropriate content at some point; they need to learn how to deal with it without making a big deal out of it. While I could happily have lived my life without ever having seen Goatse guy or tubgirl, at some point students will be turned loose onto the internet with only their self-discipline for control. Better they learn how to control themselves then try to keep them locked in a tower; eventually, they are going to get out.

Re:CIPA Compliance

[AldoRaine]

I was just about to post this. CIPA requires that schools operate "a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors."

E-Rate offers school districts enormous discounts on certain products and services, so CIPA makes it cost ineffective to offer unrestricted Internet access to students.

Re:an excellent argument...

[SuperQ]

No, you don't. I helped run the network for a school a while back. We didn't filter anything. We logged everything using a proxy. We simply made it very well known to the students that anything they surfed would be logged. We never had any issues. This was even the school for "bad kids"

We had a couple of the "bad hackers" from the highschool. We made them (with supervision) in charge of keeping the linux machines in the computer lab running.