https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65700288.amp
This Belfast student says racial slurs within the book leave her feeling uncomfortable in the classroom.
Just for clarity, I don't disagree with what I believe your argument ultimately boils down to. I think avoiding all uncomfortable topics in all educational settings and across all subjects is not a good idea. However I think the debate to be had here is more nuanced than that.
As you say, a lot of history is uncomfortable and acknowledging it and learning it is essential to progress. But debates need to be had about how we teach these topics.
We cannot assume that the way we tackle the subject of racism in schools is perfect as it is now. From studying Of Mice and Men during GCSEs myself I certainly think it lacked in terms of tackling the subject of racism in a way that does it justice. Though I am making the assumption that the way it is taught now is the same as it was a decade ago which might be a load of rubbish.
Thank you for your civil reply to my confrontation and I hope this clarifies my thoughts better than my initial reply.
It comes down to teacher preparation and skills. Way back in the day I remember covering Huckleberry Finn. The slurs were not just kind of skipped over or minimized. It brought up several great discussions about historical wrongs, about the problem with judging people outside of the world they live in, changes that have happened since, and how much we still need to learn. I have no doubt that a less skilled educator could do far worse, not addressing the elephant in the room which could make the situation uncomfortable and even hurtful to certain students. In that I agree with you. I just don't find that a legitimate reason to just ban certain books. It seems like so much bad that has happened with education has been spurred by outside forces deciding what they think education should be.
It is so similar to people who truly believe that they could successfully run a restaurant, based on the fact that they have eaten at many restaurants over the years. Pay teachers better, ensure only experienced and involved teachers teach classes where a softer, more nuanced approach is needed, etc.
I just really have a knee jerk reaction when people want to ban stuff for reasons based on feelings.