Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should schools be able to ban books?
Position3 of 3
Banning books is unenforceable
Argument

Books can be read outside of school

Children have access to books outside of school through their home, library, or bookstore.

The argument

Even if a school bans a book, there are other places and opportunities for children to still read it. They can have access to libraries, bookstores, and their own home book collection. Most parents are willing to help their children find books to read, even if banned by a school. They can buy the book for them, or take them to a library to borrow it. Book banning is pointless because there will always be alternative ways to read. If a child wants to read badly enough, they are able to go around their school and find a different place to read.

Premises

[P1]A school ban does not remove access to a book, since children can still find it at libraries, bookstores, or in their own homes. [P2] Most parents will help their children obtain banned books, so a determined reader can always go around the school to read. [C] Banning books is unenforceable because books can still be read outside of school.

Counter-arguments

A school could be the only place where a child has access to books. Their parents may not have the means to get reading material for the children, or may not want to. They could agree with the school in believing that a banned book should not be read, so they discourage their children from reading. A school could be the only chance children could find a book they truly enjoy reading.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Some children may only have access to books at school.