Schools As Tools For Coerced Cultural Change
In the binary scheme of things educational, there are TWO main visions of how schools should be run. One is the progressive view held by most in the organized government education establishment and includes those all the way from teacher training to teacher unions. The other view is the traditional view held by many parents who see the older ways as effective and respectful of the parental role in guidance and decision-making about schooling.
The Ontario protest against the new sex curriculum by so many parents, to the extent of withdrawing their children from schools, is not a new issue in Canada about the parental role.
In 2011 when Alison Redford became premier of Alberta it was claimed that she obtained her surge of votes when promises were made to the teacher union for 3 things — immediate restoration of $107 million to education funds, scrapping standardized tests for Gr 3 & 6, and repeal of the parental veto.
Amazingly, the first two were quickly accomplished but parents across the province seriously protested the third item. The parent veto still stands.
What is important to note is that the third is a cultural change item and has nothing to do with the issues of school funding and testing which do affect teachers. It is the ideology of the progressive establishment intruding into curriculum content that was challenged by parents.
Similarly, it is the ideological agenda of the progressive establishment which is currently being challenged by these parent protests in Ontario.
Thankfully, the parents are standing up for the integrity of their children’s minds and development and for their own role in overseeing values questions.
Of all the professions we have in society it is the teaching profession over which parents should be most vigilant. To twist the mind is to twist the child and the adult in the long term.
It’s in the Bible and I have seen teachers on the Internet acknowledge at rare times their respect for the injunction: Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1, NIV Study Bible)
Here’s another interesting quote for parents to be aware of and it’s from Israel. Much as the nation desires a national curriculum it does allow home education for this exception: “The Ministry of Education will grant a child exemption from mandatory schooling and permit home school if the parents have a core value system that differs from the local school.”
Thankfully we are seeing awakened parents becoming aware and assertive about cultural changes being engineered without their consent.