Recently, Florida has been frequenting headlines for updates to its educational system. New laws passed include book banning, restrictions to the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, and the ending of certain Advanced Placement (AP) courses. 

During the 2022-2023 academic year, according to NBC Miami, about 300 books were banned. Some of the themes of these books included racism (ex: Ace of Spades), LGBTQ+ identities (ex: All Boys Aren’t Blue), and antisemitism (ex: Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation). Florida government officials maintain that these bans are in place to protect children from what they call “woke indoctrination,” as detailed in a statement released by Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. However, there are concerns that these bans will restrict children from understanding different world views, thereby making them more prejudiced.

Additionally, the passing of the “Don’t Say Gay” law in 2022 has heavily infringed upon the civil liberties of LGBTQ+ students. This law prevents discussion of certain topics such as gender and sexuality in schools. A similar law prohibits transgender students from using the bathrooms that align with their gender identities. According to a study performed by JAMA Network, gender-affirming care has a positive impact on nonbinary and trans youth. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the rejection of children on behalf of their identities will have a negative impact on the mental health of students. 

The state has also placed restrictions, and in some cases, full on rejection on AP courses designed by College Board. After rejecting AP African American Studies, Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis, said, “The course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow.”  Failing to provide students access to this course prevents Floridian youth from understanding the difficulties faced by African Americans and therefore reduces sympathy for the struggles. History courses weren’t the only ones targeted. Some schools in Florida will not offer AP Psychology anymore due to the discussions of gender and sexuality in one of the units of study due to the restrictions put on teachers by the “Don’t Say Gay” laws. The reasoning for this restriction specifically targets queer youth and negatively impacts their view of self. 

By restricting aspects of education that promote an awareness of diverse perspectives, Florida is failing to prepare children for the world. In life, people will come across a wide variety of perspectives, and this is something they should be prepared to listen to and acknowledge. However, this ever-changing and more restrictive education system tailors a worldview that only accepts ideas offered by those who, historically, have not had their views challenged. In refusing to highlight diverse voices, Florida is creating a generation of students who cannot sympathize with those around them and lack empathy. 

For additional information, check out the following sources used for this article:

• “What’s With All the Education News Out of Florida? A Recap of Education Policy Decisions”
• “Roughly 300 books were removed from school libraries in Florida last year. Here’s the full list”
• “The Dangerous Consequences of Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill on LGBTQ+ Youth in Florida”
• “Florida says AP class teaches critical race theory. Here’s what’s really in the course”
• “The Florida AP Psychology Controversy, Explained”
• Statement on AP Psychology and Florida – CollegeBoard
• “Florida appears to reverse course on AP Psych, but some schools still won’t offer it”