this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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As a teacher I’ll say that political ideologies very much do belong in the classroom. How else can you expect a child to learn how to be a part of society and to care for people beyond their own self-interest?
Teaching “political ideology” isn’t telling a class of kids, “you should all be socialists,” it’s giving them a foundation upon which they can build their individual morality.
What is school if not a place to learn from the successes and failures of peoples past?
I don't disagree, but I think some places have taken it too far
what is too far? what places? i hear this point alot, but do you have examples? real schools that are really going "too far" in some specific sense? where are they? what are they teaching?
The difference between *teaching about* an ideology and *presenting* an ideology as *true* or *correct* or *better*
Like, we should teach ideology -- all of them. We should teach religion -- all of them. Not in the way parochial schools do (as the truth) but holistically, as things that exist.
to be honest i'm not sure i agree with that. but that doesn't seem like the position drdiemz is defending. they seem to want less ideology in schools, or none at all, which is... both impossible and undesirable.
pedagogy is ideological. the way we teach children, the things we teach them, the things we don't, all that requires a specific ideological framework. free access to knowledge, freedom to choose what to believe, teaching diverse perspectives, those are ideological imperatives not shared by all ideologies. i think we should impress upon our children the value of free access to knowledge, of liberation, of the social forces which have led to them having access to schooling and literacy when before only the wealthy did. and to be honest, from the behavior of a large quantity of the ideological right wing, they seem to think that's an active threat.
the fact is that ideologies which prioritize the well being of other human beings, their liberties as individuals and as communities, are better, and their ability to learn about any ideology unrestricted is facilitated by the implementation of socially progressive values in their schooling environment. its why i'm always wary of people who seek to minimize politics in the classroom. everything is political. the way in which students are taught is political, the organization of classrooms is political, the certification of teachers is political, the funding for schools is political. every single part of every person's life is shaped by politics, and if you aren't engaging students with politics, you are withholding information from them that they should be given.
Too far is telling my sisters they should be vegans, too far is promoting body dysmorphia as something that should be celebrated and not treated. I have 3 sisters, none of which escaped the public school system without psychological harm. Two of which battle and were in hospice for anorexia.
I am curious about these schools that have taken it to far? I would just like examples