Public Education

[Stravinsk]

Mixed feelings about this.

I went to public school as many people in the West do, and am thankful for the education I got.

Partly.

I am thankful for learning to read, write (in English and some Spanish), do arithmetic, geometry and the basic sciences. Music I learned on my own through books, practice and experiment.

That being said, much of what I was taught (specifically some aspects of History, and teachings about our world), I now either reject or question.


So my questions to you is:

Have you come across anything in your time since schooling that has challenged a basic core belief and made you do some digging into the subject, or do you automatically reject ideas that do not fit with what you have long accepted?

Do you believe that any elements of the government education you received could be there, not because it is true, but to get you to think a certain way and only a certain way?

Is there anything you wish you *were* taught in your formative years or teen years but was missing from your education?

 

[Rens]

Evolution
I wish I didn't have to read all those monstrous Dutch books because it was 'literature'.

 

[Lamb]

There were things about the native American Indians that weren't all true that was taught when I was in elementary school. Schools have since changed those things thankfully.

The government doesn't write or demand that certain textbooks be used. Anyone can write a textbook but it's the school board that gets the vote on which books they want in their school system. At least that's how it was in the past.

 

[Josiah]

I didn't attend public schools until college. I think some of COLLEGE stuff was very biased but I can't speak personally to lower education.

My wife is a public school teacher (Second Grade) and I've gained several new (and often very different) ideas about public education from her. As Lamm pointed out, the textbooks (etc.) are written by private persons and therefore certainly contain biases and likely misinformation... I'm not completely sure how to eliminate that, particularly in school districts where teachers are mandated to parrot the book. And of course, public schools are directed by the school administration, the local district, the state office of education, and (increasingly) by the US Congress and President. All political figures.... with political agendas. Some of the "diversity" and "tolerance" religions of the left are now mandated to be taught to little innocent boys and girls who swallow such whole because their beloved and trusted teacher says it. Not sure how to eliminate that. Good teachers, however, can mitigate the junk somewhat.

But here would be my point: Don't let someone else raise your kids. I think a lot of parents have abandoned their God-given role and just given their kids to others, often with little to no awareness of what their kids are being taught, shown, modeled. PARENTS are the ones to teach religion, values, philosophy to their kids. PARENTS are to teach their kids to think and evaluate. But this requires that parents be parents.... and as my wife would tell you, too many parents have no desire to be a parent - they are too busy with things they consider more important and REJOICE that the school teaches their kids ITS values, philosophy, religion, politics, sociology.... quite happy to have their kids learn about sex, God, society from the internet, movies, TV shows (without caring - and perhaps even knowing what those are). IMO, teachers (at school, on the 'net, on TV, in the songs they listen to) are given FAR, FAR too much influence over our kids. But it's not (always) that they WANT this power, it's that parents give it to them. Because they are lazy and have very mixed up priorities.



A blessed Epiphany to all



Pax Christi



- Josiah

 

[MoreCoffee]

School text books are reviewed before being accepted. That filters out serious errors and mitigates personal biases while embedding secular biases. Religious schools also use texts written by individuals or by small co-operating teams. These also are reviewed before acceptance. Those reviews ensure that the biases of the sponsoring religion are embedded into the texts. Does a religious school do a better job? Maybe sometimes and a worse one at other times.

 

[Josiah]

School text books are reviewed before being accepted. That filters out serious errors and mitigates personal biases while embedding secular biases.

Well... it means it reflects the views, sociology, politics and philosophy/theology of the reviewers. Not necessarily of the parents (or of truth). I DO recall a report that a history book for middle schoolers contained the statement that Eisenhower used the Atomic Bomb in the Korean War.... the story documented how WRONG textbooks can be, although THAT error was "caught" before it was put into the hands of innocent, ignorant, swallow-pretty-much-anything students.

Religious schools also use texts written by individuals or by small co-operating teams. These also are reviewed before acceptance. Those reviews ensure that the biases of the sponsoring religion are embedded into the texts. Does a religious school do a better job? Maybe sometimes and a worse one at other times.

Yes, textbooks used by religious schools may be reviewed by someone before placed into the hands of students. And yes, perhaps thus reflect the views, biases, philosophy/theology, sociology, politics of the reviewers.

Such is probably impossible to eliminate (although it could be minimized). I see no desire to do so. The politicians (or churches or whatever) that run the schools will insert their views, biases, social/political views into the curriculum - intentionally or otherwise. MY point would be: if you are going to send your kids to a school, be engaged enough to know what your kids are being taught (including the subtle implications).


EXAMPLE: I was homeschooled but via a mega Baptist church/school. The religion curriculum was typically good but of course taught a certain view of the Sacraments. My parents wanted me to learn (well!) the Baptist perspective BUT they presented their view... and wanted me to learn that, too. And to THINK about these..... evaluate these.

EXAMPLE: I recall a family (of German heritage) noting that our public schools often have month long celebrations of ethnic or racial groups (Black American Celebration Month.... Hispanic American Appreciation Month..... etc., etc.) with lots of classroom time to celebrate notable accomplishments and persons of that race or ethnicity, to study the history of that group. But it is not permitted to do this for white Americans. It's disallowed in every state. So, the parents found a month when the public school wasn't holding up some other group and ADDED their own "German American Celebration Month" teaching their kids about great Germans, accomplishments of Germans, a study of Germans in American, complete with a ride in their BMW to their Lutheran church while singing "God Loves Me Dearly" in German! Haha. Love it. Now, if my wife tried to do that in her Second Grade, she's be fired. But nothing to keep parents from doing that (the school won't even object). Parents need to KNOW what is being taught (and the teacher would be GLAD to share the curriculum and exactly as he/she presents it). DISCUSS it with your kids.... ADD and/or SUBTRACT from it. Teach kids YOUR values, philosophy, theology, sociology. Teach kids to think.... to evaluate, in an age appropriate way.



Pax Christi


- Josiah

 

[Brighten04]

I was educated in public schools and I am grateful for that it was free mostly. But, I am sure they taught me only what they wanted me to know. When I went to college, someone told me that I really would not learn much until I finished college and actually engaged the world. I have found that to be true, but I can say that some perspectives gained from my studies prepared me to better understand the diversities of life.