Submission + - NYC bans mention of dinosaurs, dancing, birthdays on student tests. (nypost.com)
SchroedingersCat writes: New York educators banned references to "dinosaurs," "birthdays," "Halloween" and dozens of other topics on city-issued tests. That is because they fear such topics "could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students." Dinosaurs, for example, call to mind evolution, which might upset fundamentalists; birthdays are not celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses; and Halloween suggests paganism. Homes with swimming pools and home computers are also unmentionables — because of economic sensitivities. The city asks test companies to exclude “creatures from outer space" as well — for unspecified reasons.
