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The Education Vs. Indoctrination Debate
Get Schooled
By Dom Giordano, For The Bulletin
Teachers, from grade school to the university level, have enormous influence over students. What they say in the classroom can shape their students’ thinking. But in many situations, teachers veer off from their mission to educate and twist into subtle and not-so-subtle forms of indoctrination.
When challenged on this, these professors hide behind the sacred banner of academic free speech while promoting their specific political agendas. The groupthink mentality sinks into these classrooms, and students feel obvious pressure to go along and not challenge the professor for fear of academic reprisal.
Where do Pennsylvania colleges and universities stand? Are they embracing the evolving movement to clarify and strengthen students’ rights or are they allowing professors to use their classrooms as an academic bully pulpit to indoctrinate students to their political agendas? Craig Snider, a Philadelphian who sits on the board of the Horowitz Freedom Center, which monitors colleges and pushes for academic freedom for students, thinks the movement is gaining momentum.
Mr. Snider joined me recently on my education/parenting radio show to talk about his efforts and the efforts of David Horowitz and the Horowitz Freedom Center to develop a students bill of rights that has started to be included on many Pennsylvania college campuses. The Web site is www.students
foracademicfreedom.org and offers a good guide for how to aid students in getting an open and diverse intellectual experience in their classes.
Mr. Snider emphasized that there is no political agenda in this movement. He said that schools like Temple and others have been in the forefront of trying to guarantee a classroom free of bias and agenda and an atmosphere where dissent is welcomed. He believes it is critical that colleges and universities return to their primary mission, which is education, not indoctrination.
In contrast to this common sense approach stands the State of New Jersey and their latest hare-brained scheme. The state has allowed and certified the GED, or high school equivalency exam, to be given in Spanish. Last year, some 907 New Jersey residents took their high school equivalency test in Spanish. This is really curious since the test includes a battery of questions that test the individual’s fluency in English.
However, this “Alice in Wonderland” silliness is not enough for New Jersey. Now they are going to support the La Casa de Don Pedro, a Newark social services agency, at which the test will be given solely in Spanish. The argument is that people need their GED to continue working and it takes too long to learn English.
In a news account on this idea, a woman who emigrated from Argentina 10 years ago, explained through an interpreter that she couldn’t learn English quickly enough and this was a blessing for her. You would think that after 10 years that the woman would have had enough time to learn English that she would not need an interpreter.
This whole operation is a scam and a delusion. Research shows that, in order to move up in the U.S. labor market, mastery of English is essential. I think the State of New Jersey is greatly cheapening its GED program and once again trying to make the world conform to an agenda.
Peanut Allergy Concerns —
Real Or Hysteria?
For the last few years I have tried to be respectful of those parents and advocates who are afraid for the kids and worry about potential peanut allergies. Many of these allergy advocates have been very vocal about the devastating effects this can have on a child who comes into contact with some form of peanut product. However, I see in the recent decision by the Camden Riversharks, a minor league baseball team announced an entire suite of seats will be designated as a “peanut-free zone” to be part of a growing overreaction to the problem.
The ballclub says the peanut-free section is in response to popular demand. I think it represents a growing vocal minority that is making unreasonable demands. Harvard physician Nicholas Christakis tells the story of a peanut spotted on the floor of a school bus and this resulted in the bus being immediately evacuated and cleaned. Whole schools have banned peanut and jelly sandwiches due to concerns over potential allergies.
You can push back against this if you are told that in 2005 a Canadian girl named Christina Desforges was allergic to peanuts and died after kissing her boyfriend who had eaten peanut butter toast hours before their deadly kiss. You can tell them the true story. Desforges suffered from asthma and died of a severe asthma attack likely caused by her smoking of marijuana and attendance at a party where pot and tobacco were being used.
Teacher-turned-talk show host Dom Giordano can be heard weeknights on WPHT Radio (1210 AM). You can send questions to Dom via e-mail at askdomg@aol.com. You can also write to him with questions at PO Box 355, Lumberton, N.J. 08048.
When challenged on this, these professors hide behind the sacred banner of academic free speech while promoting their specific political agendas. The groupthink mentality sinks into these classrooms, and students feel obvious pressure to go along and not challenge the professor for fear of academic reprisal.
Where do Pennsylvania colleges and universities stand? Are they embracing the evolving movement to clarify and strengthen students’ rights or are they allowing professors to use their classrooms as an academic bully pulpit to indoctrinate students to their political agendas? Craig Snider, a Philadelphian who sits on the board of the Horowitz Freedom Center, which monitors colleges and pushes for academic freedom for students, thinks the movement is gaining momentum.
Mr. Snider joined me recently on my education/parenting radio show to talk about his efforts and the efforts of David Horowitz and the Horowitz Freedom Center to develop a students bill of rights that has started to be included on many Pennsylvania college campuses. The Web site is www.students
foracademicfreedom.org and offers a good guide for how to aid students in getting an open and diverse intellectual experience in their classes.
Mr. Snider emphasized that there is no political agenda in this movement. He said that schools like Temple and others have been in the forefront of trying to guarantee a classroom free of bias and agenda and an atmosphere where dissent is welcomed. He believes it is critical that colleges and universities return to their primary mission, which is education, not indoctrination.
In contrast to this common sense approach stands the State of New Jersey and their latest hare-brained scheme. The state has allowed and certified the GED, or high school equivalency exam, to be given in Spanish. Last year, some 907 New Jersey residents took their high school equivalency test in Spanish. This is really curious since the test includes a battery of questions that test the individual’s fluency in English.
However, this “Alice in Wonderland” silliness is not enough for New Jersey. Now they are going to support the La Casa de Don Pedro, a Newark social services agency, at which the test will be given solely in Spanish. The argument is that people need their GED to continue working and it takes too long to learn English.
In a news account on this idea, a woman who emigrated from Argentina 10 years ago, explained through an interpreter that she couldn’t learn English quickly enough and this was a blessing for her. You would think that after 10 years that the woman would have had enough time to learn English that she would not need an interpreter.
This whole operation is a scam and a delusion. Research shows that, in order to move up in the U.S. labor market, mastery of English is essential. I think the State of New Jersey is greatly cheapening its GED program and once again trying to make the world conform to an agenda.
Peanut Allergy Concerns —
Real Or Hysteria?
For the last few years I have tried to be respectful of those parents and advocates who are afraid for the kids and worry about potential peanut allergies. Many of these allergy advocates have been very vocal about the devastating effects this can have on a child who comes into contact with some form of peanut product. However, I see in the recent decision by the Camden Riversharks, a minor league baseball team announced an entire suite of seats will be designated as a “peanut-free zone” to be part of a growing overreaction to the problem.
The ballclub says the peanut-free section is in response to popular demand. I think it represents a growing vocal minority that is making unreasonable demands. Harvard physician Nicholas Christakis tells the story of a peanut spotted on the floor of a school bus and this resulted in the bus being immediately evacuated and cleaned. Whole schools have banned peanut and jelly sandwiches due to concerns over potential allergies.
You can push back against this if you are told that in 2005 a Canadian girl named Christina Desforges was allergic to peanuts and died after kissing her boyfriend who had eaten peanut butter toast hours before their deadly kiss. You can tell them the true story. Desforges suffered from asthma and died of a severe asthma attack likely caused by her smoking of marijuana and attendance at a party where pot and tobacco were being used.
Teacher-turned-talk show host Dom Giordano can be heard weeknights on WPHT Radio (1210 AM). You can send questions to Dom via e-mail at askdomg@aol.com. You can also write to him with questions at PO Box 355, Lumberton, N.J. 08048.
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