True Tolerance in Schools by Bailey

True Tolerance in Schools by Bailey - July 2020 Scholarship Essay

My dream classroom would not vary too much from my existing one. Classrooms today are more accepting and tolerable than they have ever been. However, I believe that there is such a thing as too forward-thinking. In many of my classrooms, conservative viewpoints are bashed and called racist or bigoted without even being examined thoroughly. This has led to me questioning the modern hypocrisy of tolerance in our classrooms- tolerance is promoted as long as it aligns with liberal beliefs. This has become a particularly huge problem on college campuses where riots break out for the mere mentioning of non-liberal viewpoints.

My dream classroom would help me excel because it would be a perfect community to grow in. There would be no pressure to conform to any group, allowing me to focus solely on my academics and progress. Students would not be shamed or judged based on their viewpoints, especially if other individuals do not agree with them. All viewpoints, even the most controversial ones, would be acceptable and open for discussion. This would be a utopian classroom because it would allow true freedom of speech and expression for all students, regardless of their values or beliefs. By constantly debating and talking about difficult topics, we would be able to move towards positive change as a united nation.