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Omékongo Dibinga is a professor of cross cultural communication and often speaks to students across the globe about a range of subjects, including politics – he says school leaders should definitely be encouraging kids to get involved with political issues.
“We don’t want drones,” says Dibinga. “We want students who feel empowered to speak about political issues of the day, not completely ignorant.”
However, the motivational speaker and diversity consultant says school leaders must be sure to work with teachers and parents when addressing sensitive subjects such same-sex marriage.
“This is very similar to the sex education debate that was a major issue in America a decade or so ago,” says Dibinga, who’s based in Washington, D.C.
“If teachers arbitrarily decided to just start teaching about this without the consult of parents and school leaders, they may be setting themselves for a great deal of problems with no one to support them.”
If educators do decide to discuss the controversial topic, Dibinga says they must work to make their classroom a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their views.
“Teachers must let students know that expressing their opinion won’t affect their grade,” says Dibinga. “I remember a student once said that she learned exactly what she can and cannot talk about in a particular class on the very first day of class!”
Instead, Dibinga says it’s important to remain impartial and teachers should be encouraging critical thinking rather than pushing students towards a specific point of view.
“Teachers must pose their questions and comments in a way that inspires critical thinking in their students, not indoctrination,” he tells the Educator. “If it turns into indoctrination, students will just feel as if they just have to regurgitate what the teacher says in order to pass a test.
“I tell students that I don’t care what they think but I care how they think. I present them with factual sides of a debate and hope they will make an informed decision,” he adds.