Tipsheet

NYC Schools Ban Words Like Birthday, Slavery and Dinosaur

Taking political correctness to new extremes, the New York City Department of Education has banned the following words from tests (this is a non-exhaustive list):

birthday - could be offensive to Jehovah's Witnesses

Halloween - references Paganism

dinosaur - reference to evolution

dancing - offensive to students whose religion bans dancing (references to ballet dance won't be affected)

home computers - reference to economic disparity amongst students

50 words have been removed in total, according to ABC. The Department of Education says that this is necessary to avoid 'appearing biased'. According to a Department of Education spokeswoman, banning these words is a way for "students to complete practice exams without distraction".