In a nuanced exploration of educational perspectives, a PEW Research survey unveils a rich mosaic of opinions among teachers, parents, and teenagers, particularly on slavery’s legacy and gender identity education.
On the matter of slavery, 64% of teachers emphasize the importance of students learning about its ongoing impact on Black Americans. In contrast, 23% view slavery as a historical chapter with no present influence, while 8% argue against teaching the topic altogether.
Among those who say the topic of racism or racial inequality comes up in class, comfort levels differ by:
- Race and ethnicity: Black teens (33%) are more likely than white (19%) or Hispanic (17%) teens to say they feel uncomfortable when this comes up in class.
- Partisanship: Teens who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party are more likely than Republican and Republican-leaning teens to say they feel comfortable when this comes up in class (43% vs. 33%). In turn, Republican teens are more likely than Democratic teens to say they feel uncomfortable (24% vs. 18%).
When asked what they would prefer to learn in school about the legacy of slavery, 48% of teens say they’d rather learn that it still affects the position of Black people in American society today.
A smaller but substantive share (40%) would rather learn that slavery is part of American history but does not affect the position of Black people in American society today. Just 11% say they shouldn’t learn about this topic at school.
Again, views differ by:
- Race and ethnicity: 79% of Black teens say they would prefer to learn that the legacy of slavery still affects Black people today. This is much higher than the shares of White (41%) and Hispanic (45%) teens who say this.
- Partisanship: 68% of Democratic teens would rather learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people today. In turn, most Republican teens (60%) say they would prefer to learn that slavery does not affect the position of Black people today.
Parents find themselves divided, with 49% advocating for their children to learn about the enduring legacy of slavery and 42% leaning toward the belief that it no longer shapes the lives of Black Americans. Teenagers echo this division, with 48% preferring to learn about its lasting impact and 40% leaning towards the notion that it’s a relic of the past.
The survey reveals a notable political divide among teachers, with 85% of Democratic educators supporting the idea that slavery’s legacy continues to hold sway, compared to a mere 35% of their Republican counterparts.
When shifting the focus to gender identity education, opinions remain divergent. Thirty-one percent of parents prefer their children to learn that gender can differ from the sex assigned at birth, while an equal percentage insists on teaching that gender is determined by birth sex. Another 37% believe their children shouldn’t learn about gender identity in school.
Teens reflect the divide, with 25% wanting to learn about the fluidity of gender, 26% preferring a deterministic view, and 48% expressing a belief that gender identity should not be part of the school curriculum.
Fifty percent of teachers advocate against students learning about gender identity in school. However, 14% support the idea that birth sex determines gender, and a third think that students should learn about the fluidity of gender.
A noticeable political divide persists, with Democratic teachers more open to teaching about gender diversity (53%), compared to only 5% of their Republican counterparts. Additionally, 80% of Republican teachers believe parents should be able to opt their children out of LGBTQ issues education, while only 30% of Democratic teachers share this view.
The survey also delves into classroom dynamics, revealing that topics related to racism or racial inequality are more likely to be discussed (56%) than those related to gender identity (50%). Furthermore, teachers with more than a year of experience report that sexual orientation and gender identity topics rarely or never come up in their classrooms (68%).
Source: Published without changes from Washington Informer Newspaper
