Schools of the Future

[John Simkin]

A right-wing pressure group called Civitas (Institute for the Study of Civil Society) has announced it plans to fund its own school. Civitas, an organization which has recently published pamphlets opposing immigration and asylum seekers, says the main reason for establishing the school is to preserve “the values and knowledge on which the survival of the culture depends”. Robert Whelden of Civitas complained that pupils “were no longer taught about historical events such as the Magna Carta.

[Guest]

A right-wing pressure group called Civitas (Institute for the Study of Civil Society) has announced it plans to fund its own school. Civitas, an organization which has recently published pamphlets opposing immigration and asylum seekers, says the main reason for establishing the school is to preserve “the values and knowledge on which the survival of the culture depends”. Robert Whelden of Civitas complained that pupils “were no longer taught about historical events such as the Magna Carta.

The important point here that there are apparently people who see education as little more than a vehicle for the transmission of norms and values they themselves believe to enormously important. (And in the case of Civitas this would appear to be tinged with more than a hint of prejuduce)?

I for one see such an approach, be it Civitas, or the DFES, or the the Church of England, or any other silly b***** who starts a sentence with "Teach them the values of......", as the antithesis of education in its proper sense. Education should enable students to emerge as thinking adults capable of establishing their own values and capable of challenging existing orthodoxy and to paraphrase Terry Hayden "the ability to detect bullxxxx" when it is presented before them.

[Pauline Crawford]

It would be interesting to read about the values and norms important to this group. Blind obedience? Critical questioning? Evaluation of resources? Discussions from another's point of view. It might be difficult to teach debating, where it is important to be able to take a position contra to your personal beliefs.

I am usually a pinkie leftie, but this mrning I am feeling right wing enough to suggest that in order to register as a school, the curriculum must show these aspects.

PS Will my signature automatically appear?

[Guest]

It would be interesting to read about the values and norms important to this group. Blind obedience? Critical questioning? Evaluation of resources? Discussions from another's point of view.  It might be difficult to teach debating, where it is important to be able to take a position contra to your personal beliefs.

I am usually a pinkie leftie, but this mrning I am feeling right wing enough to suggest that in order to register as a school, the curriculum must show these aspects. 

PS Will my signature automatically appear?

You can read about Civitas HERE

Your signature will automatically appear after you have constructed it