Table of Contents
After a mother complained, the Assassination Classroom manga was removed from several school libraries removed. We summarize.
Too much for adolescents
“Assassination Classroom” by Yuusei Matsui has long been the manga series most often banned in schools in the United States of America and could therefore only be found in very few school libraries.
Many of them were in the Horry County School Districtwhich is the third largest school district in the state of South Carolina with around 50,000 students in 57 schools. But even there, thanks to the complaint of an overprotective mother, the shounen manga is now history.
They complained that the title was for adults and that adolescents could not process the content, especially the depiction of violence and the sexually tinged scenes. She would have been shocked when she flipped through the manga her daughter brought home from school.
Ban in other schools
For this reason, she complained to the school administration and requested that the manga be reviewed Reconsideration Committee the American Library Associationa committee that takes a closer look at controversial books. He ordered that “Assassination Classroom” be removed from all school libraries in the Horry County School District.
This ban will now apply for five years, during which students at the affected schools will have to do without the manga in their libraries. Only then does a routine reassessment of the title follow, which can also end with a release.
Incidentally, the daughter in question is by no means a very young child, but rather a student Socastee High School. Their age is therefore between 14 and 18 years and therefore corresponds to the target group of the work.
In this country, “Assassination Classroom” was published by Carlsen-Verlag with an age recommendation of 12 years and over. Please let us know in the comments at what age you would hand the title to your offspring.
How can parents effectively communicate their concerns about specific materials to schools, and what resources might assist them in advocating for their child’s media choices?
Interview Section 1: Assessing Manga Content for Age Appropriateness
Guest 1: Librarian at a middle school in New York City
Guest 2: Parent of a high school student in Los Angeles
Interviewer: With the ban of Assassination Classroom manga from school libraries, how do you think age-appropriate content should be assessed for students in schools? What role do librarians and teachers play in vetting materials for children and teenagers?
Section 2: Censorship & Reconsideration Committees
Guest 1: You are a librarian, and you have to follow guidelines set by the school district. Do you think this ban is an example of censorship or ensuring age-appropriate material for students? What is your opinion on reconsideration committees reviewing books for appropriateness?
Guest 2: As a parent, your first instinct is to keep your child safe from inappropriate content. How do you balance that desire with the right to access information and explore diverse material? What supports would you like schools to provide for parents who have concerns about specific books and materials?
Section 3: Age Recommendations & Parenting
Guest 1: Carlsen-Verlag recommends the Assassination Classroom manga for 12+ readers. At what age would you give this manga title to your child? What factors do you consider when deciding what media is age-appropriate for your child/teenager?
Guest 2: As a parent, how do you navigate the responsibility of providing guidance to your child while also respecting their autonomy and growing independence? What role do you think schools should play in helping parents make informed decisions about media consumption?
