What is literacy? What is learning? What is inquiry? Not much without academic freedom. Academic freedom is the foundation of all teaching and learning–our very notion of schooling relies on a steadfast commitment to academic freedom.
ReLeah Lent, past chair of NCTE’s Standing Committee Against Censorship, is speaking about the new NCTE Position Statement on Academic Freedom.
The statement derives from NCTE’s support for intellectual freedom and encourages faculties and institutions to develop policies and procedures to protect these principles:
- Freedom of Belief and Identity
- Freedom of Expression and Discussion
- Freedom of Inquiry
- Freedom from Indoctrination
- Equality, Privacy, and Due Process
The principles are adapted from Liberty & Learning by David Moshman. Moshman notes,
Nothing is more important than academic freedom to the quality and integrity of education. In this Statement, NCTE has committed itself to a principled conception of academic freedom that recognizes the crucial role of liberty in teaching, learning, and inquiry.