I have the impression that some people who claim academic freedom have a beam in their eye. A beam as big as the academic responsibility which they grossly neglect.
The General Society of Students of the Collège de Maisonneuve published an open letter this week in which it denounces teaching practices which, in my opinion, are disturbing.
According to the letter, on September 15, a teacher started a class conversation about free speech and journalistic functions.
Claiming that “everything must be able to be said”, the teacher pronounced the “word beginning with an N” first in reference to the work of Pierre Vallières, then nine more times, unrelated to the work, to mean that everyone has the right to pronounce it.
All in a class in which a third of the students were black.
Even though the word was not used to directly insult a student, the unease was apparently palpable in the classroom. One of the students, Laeticia (fictitious name), raised her hand to challenge the unnecessary use of the word, to which the teacher allegedly replied by affirming her refusal to be censored.
Another student, Jeanne (fictitious name), proposed as an alternative the use of a diminutive, a proposition refused by the teacher. A class discussion ensued in which the teacher continued to use the “word beginning with an N” about fifteen times, depending on the letter.
Jeanne raised her hand again to reiterate her proposal. The teacher pointed to her and said, “You don’t do any good raising your hand, I won’t listen to you. ”
Let’s take a look at it for a minute.
First of all, do you need a doctoral thesis to expose the inconsistency of a teacher who claims her freedom of expression, and who at the same time, during a conversation on the same subject, refuses to grant the floor to a student ?
It should be added that this was not about burning a book or putting it on the index. And was this a case where the use of the “word beginning with N” was necessary for educational purposes? No more. Here is a teacher who has gargled full-mouthed with this word, having as only apparent motivation that to brandish her freedom, without considering her academic responsibility.
This responsibility unfortunately seems too often forgotten, and it seems essential to me that educational institutions rectify the situation.
There are things that are simply not said in class. Not because a law prohibits them. Not because a supervisory authority imposes censorship. Out of simple decency in the context of relations between teachers and students.
Imagine yourself in a classroom for a moment. You can undoubtedly identify a multitude of insulting words. All those derogatory words that are going through your mind right now and that you dare not say, and that no teacher would use. Because beyond official laws and regulations, there are implicit constraints on the freedoms of education and expression that make the use of these words unacceptable.
These constraints exist not only in schools, but everywhere in society. Sometimes they are even codified in explicit rules. The National Assembly formally prohibits deputies from using words such as “bebite”, “matamore” and “ti-coune”. The word “conspirator” has recently been added to the list. No one made much of it.
However, the refusal to pronounce the “word beginning with N” remains perceived as an affront to the freedoms of education and expression. This is unfortunate, because as a result, many black students are deprived of basic respect in this way.
I would go even further, suggesting that all too often, black students struggle to gain respect precisely because they are black. Am I exaggerating? Let’s see what happened with Jeanne and Laeticia at Collège de Maisonneuve.
As a result of the ongoing debate, Jeanne received a message from her individual teaching assistant (API), who had been informed of what had happened in the course. Another student received an email informing her that “aggressive behavior, as well as bullying towards your teacher is not tolerated”.
The problem is that this other student, black, had not said anything during the lesson. As for Laeticia, also black, she received no communication, even if she had intervened in the discussion. The teacher had confused the two black students, while correctly identifying Jeanne, a white student.
Black students are too often stereotyped, when each person deserves to be seen in their own specificity. If a teacher is not able to see the full individuality of her students, is she fit and ready to teach them? We must doubt it.
The Collège de Maisonneuve underlined its position according to which “in the event of discomfort, [les élèves] may express their discomfort with regard to the content of the course, on condition, however, that this principle is respected: in the event of discomfort in a learning situation, dialogue – and not prohibitions – must always prevail ”.
No. Dialogue does not always have to come first. The College has a responsibility here to better guide its teacher in her practices.
Freedom of education is not a permission to say anything just anyhow.
What do you think? Express your opinion