Education Takeover — Where To Start?
I don’t use the word “takeover” lightly. Yes, it also has these other tones of meaning — invasion, conquest, penetration, capture . . .
I had my “awakening” one year ago when an Education Ministry Official told a small group of parents — one month before our provincial election that the “transformation” of BC education (being planned for several years already) was a go ahead, regardless of which political party would win the election (May 13, 2013). “It’s international!” we were told.
I was astonished because we had left, right, and center parties running. How could it be that the public and an elected government would have no say in this radical “transformation” called Personalized Learning?
I researched and found this was indeed part of a global effort, related to the Common Core in the US and 21st Century Learning under various names in other places. So far, it’s a go-ahead in BC, Alberta and Ontario.
Some features of this international shift are: quiet implementation; parents and public and everyday teachers not consulted; shift from content and knowledge to competencies that include collaboration, inquiry-based learning and critical thinking; cross curricular themes such as sustainability and social justice embedded into most subjects; social/emotional emphasis in classrooms.
While some people have become concerned because the methods of implementation themselves are suspect and foreign to our democratic expectations, it’s emerged that Math is becoming a flashpoint for gathering alarm. Math is not a “soft” “abstract” subject easily sabotaged and it is here where parents and some educators are starting to challenge this “transformation” by stealth.
This is no small-time politics. Even the UN with its Agenda 21 is mixed in. It is seen as indispensable that “human (which may include spiritual) development should be integrated in all disciplines”. (Ch.36)
I wish I could recommend one place to start. Of course, the Internet will provide both pros and cons for the topics I’ve touched upon.
This cartoon will help us understand the Big Shift http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2013/11/zack-hill/
To Edmonton Journal http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/04/22/manitobas-education-minister-take-a-swipe-at-albertas-not-as-successful-math-curriclum/
Today I posted the above to Society for Quality Education blog, with this Preface
MATH Proving To Be A Flashpoint That Triggers Alarm Bells
If it wasn't for the very obvious sabotage of the age-old, reliable principles of standard Math teaching we would not be taking a hard look at the wider implications. Are other school subjects also being tampered with in the name of some new holy religion?
I've been "awakened" and alarmed for over a year now. Something is definitely happening in a most conspiratorial manner to try and change mindsets, worldviews and even human nature. This manifests in a number of countries under a general category of 21st Century Learning.
Today, I’ve just ordered two more books to understand this phenomenon and to try and help in the counter movements — Cult of Common Core and Exposing the Truth About Common Core. In other posts I mentioned that I’m reading Credentialed to Destroy: How and Why Education Became a Weapon.
Yesterday I posted this post on another blog to try and gently ease new people into this disturbing topic: