More so than ever before, children and youth are being bombarded with instant, readily

accessible and ever-present information much of it reflecting and mired in controversy.

In the fall of 2015 alone, controversial issues surrounding Ontario classrooms have
included the disputed growth and development curriculum, race and ethnicity, terrorism,
and gender equality to name a few. These issues are present in student households, on
the television, through the internet and in their peer groups. That these issues are
ubiquitous in the lives of students should not be a surprise and it seems fair to assume
that controversial topics will find their way into the classroom as well. Given this broader
contemporary context and where the ultimate objective of education is to prepare
students for the realities of life outside the school how educators are addressing
controversy in the classroom is an important question that needs to be examined. Many
academics will argue that controversial issues in the classroom are essential to the
democratic fabric of a nation: that disagreement, debate and consensus building are
essential skills that educators are responsible for imparting to their students. On the
other hand, some will argue that the classroom is not appropriate place to address
these issues, and instead, they should be left to the teachings of parents or other
community institutions. Still others would propose that educators bend controversial
issues to support the institutional norms and values of their school board or a
predetermined set of acceptable values. Yet, many also seem to believe that educators
should remove themselves from the issues entirely, and instead, help to guide a wellrounded examination of all opinions while suppressing individual values entirely. The
chosen educational approach is complicated further by several key factors including: the
availability of community programs and support, the socio-economics of the school

community, and the developmental phase of the students in question. The complexity
and the eventual approach to such issues call into question the knowledge, skills and
abilities of the educators themselves. Are our teachers equipped to confront this everpresent challenge and is the right education or professional development available to
them as matter of course? This paper will explore the literature and discuss several
different approaches by leading researchers who study controversial issues in the
classroom. Each of these approaches will be evaluated critically in the classroom
context and the developmental phases of students as they progress through school.
Ultimately, the paper concludes by arguing that: 1) classrooms are vital and necessary
places to explore controversial social issues; 2) these discussions must take into
account and be geared towards children and youth in developmentally-appropriate way;
and 3) teachers need better training to ensure that they have the tools and capacity to
facilitate class-based discussions that are informed by and build on critical thinking
skills.

Resources
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