There are downsides to parenting but the joys decidedly outweigh the negatives. Though when I read things like the Ontario Liberals wanting to introduce "character education" I am left to speculate how long before the state decides that parents are a failed institution and legislates us out of existence?
The Windsor Star reports:
"Premier Dalton McGuinty plans to put respect on the curriculum in Ontario schools in a bid to teach children "from the four corners of the world" a common set of values. McGuinty said the introduction of character education -- to teach respect, honesty, fairness and responsibility"
The whole arrogance of it leaves me just flabbergasted. The McGirlieman Fiberals think that they can design an educational character curriculum to teach elementary and secondary school student’s respect, honesty, fairness and responsibility. What’s next? Saddam teaching conflict resolution skills? What happens when 26% of the students fail the character educational component – will the Fiberals dumb-down the curriculum a la mathematics?
(tipped off by Neale News)
2 comments:
Nathan, I think that you missed my point, no doubt it is my fault for not expressing myself clearly enough. The province liberals have broken many, many campaign promises...basic ones. I fail to understand how that group can effectively design "character education" classes teaching the values of honesty etc when their political actions have shown them to be so balantly dishonest to the electorate.
I wouldn't disagree with "citizenship" classes but character education leaves me gasping for air. Here's a thought, what are my rights as a parent when I violently disagree with their cirriculum? What happens to the children who fail the character education classes - do you lower the standard a la the math cirriculum as is currently being done for the math program?
Let's take your example of "sex-ed" - the Last Amazon had a public health nurse come into her sex-ed class to teach it in elementary school. The public health nurse drew diagrams on the blackboard of the various positions homosexual males can take during the sex act - now when one student asked to be shown the positions that heterosexuals can take was ignored and then when he persisted he was removed from the class for disturbing it. Welcome to sex-ed in 90's. Now I fail to see the value in teaching sexual positioning for either homosexuals or heterosexuals. As a parent, I have absolutely no say in what is taught in sex ed and no recourse when I disagree. Sure call the principal and register your protest but the damage is done. I somehow doubt that when the sex-ed course was originally designed for entry in the cirriculum that my daughter experience was what the designers of the cirriculum had in mind but nonetheless that is how it played out.
With issues like that, the trouble is that no matter what the curricula specify, people like that teacher will teach what they like, and in a way that isn't very agreeable.
But hey, there'll be people on the other side. Maybe. :-)
I think that the idea of trying to teach some moral values is a good one. The idea that schools should stay out of it is what helped create the problem in the first place. Now, as to whether McGuinty's Liberals are the ones who can do it -- not sure. But, again, it'll be the teachers on the ground who implement it.
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