Teachers should not make their social or political views known to students in the classroom.

Teachers should not make their social or political views known to students in the classroom.

“Teachers affect eternity” is an old saying. But it’s nonetheless possibly true that teachers play an indispensable role in students’ whole life. As a result of their profound influence, it is better not to allow teachers to make their social or political views known to students.

First, no one can guarantee that the subtle effect exerted on students is conducive. Since teachers are just humans, their points of view can also be unconvincing or even biased. However, unlike a strange we meet on the road, students spend most of their time with their teachers. To make matters worse, their internal code of conduct hasn’t formed. As such, students try to imitate their teachers either physically or psychologically, which could be more of a problem. For example, recently a teacher asked their students to support Xiao Zhan, an actor in China. This video sparked heated discussion since Xiao Zhan had a bad reputation for some reason. The teacher was to blame for misleading naive students and got dismissed. Therefore, teachers shouldn’t use the class as a platform to impose their views on students.

Besides, teachers are obliged to impart knowledge in class instead of their political or social beliefs. The time for class is limited, in which case teachers have to cut down time for learning. After all, teachers can only lead students from a beginner to a master in relation to knowledge. Students have to mold themselves into independent thinkers instead of accepting everything from others. Thus, if teachers promote their biased opinions in class, the school is supposed to remind them to stick to the curriculum.

Granted, it’s a good choice to learn from another perspective, especially with well-informed people such as teachers. Sharing their points of view about current events after class can equip students with up-to-date information, which in turn expands their horizons. However, how the determine the line between sharing opinions and imposing belief requires more consideration.

In conclusion, considering their special status and the potential disadvantages, teachers should stay out of the political or social discussion in the classroom.