To avoid distressing students, New York City’s education officials have told test-writers to avoid references to sex, drugs or alcohol, rock ‘n roll, Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, poverty, dinosaurs, divorce, disease and more.
Fearing that certain words and topics can make students feel unpleasant, officials are requesting 50 or so words be removed from city-issued tests.
The word “dinosaur” made the hit list because dinosaurs suggest evolution which creationists might not like, WCBS 880?s Marla Diamond reported. “Halloween” is targeted because it suggests paganism; a “birthday” might not be happy to all because it isn’t celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
. . . Words that suggest wealth are excluded because they could make kids jealous. “Poverty” is also on the forbidden list.
Dancing is taboo — except for ballet. Computers in the home are banned, but OK in schools or libraries.