[Marxism] High school indoctrination opposed

[Louis Proyect]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-laclairapr27,0,247646.story
 From the Los Angeles Times
Give me the lesson without the spin
A high school student finds conservative bias in his American government 
textbook.
By Matthew LaClair

April 27, 2008

Throughout my life, my teachers have told me that school is a neutral 
environment where my classmates and I can count on teachers and 
textbooks to provide us with the factual and unbiased information that 
will equip us for life. Lately, though, I've begun to wonder whether 
they really mean it.

In my junior year of high school in New Jersey, my U.S. history teacher 
used the first week of class to preach his religious beliefs. He told 
students, among other things, that they "belong in hell" if they reject 
Jesus as their savior, that evolution and the Big Bang are ridiculous 
and unscientific theories, and that there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark.

When I confronted him in the principal's office, he denied making the 
remarks. What he didn't realize was that I had recorded the classes. But 
even after I informed school officials what had happened, they ignored 
my concerns. So after more than a month, my parents and I took the news 
to the media.

At first, I was harassed and intimidated by other students. School 
officials ignored the harassment and even a death threat I received.

Only after the story became national news did the school district begin 
to take us seriously. After lengthy negotiations (and against continuing 
opposition from the school board), we finally persuaded the district to 
address the teacher's false and inappropriate remarks. The 
Anti-Defamation League was brought in to teach the faculty about the 
separation of church and state, and experts in the fields of 
church-state separation, evolution and cosmology came to our school to 
conduct assemblies.

After that, I thought I was done with controversy for a while. But now, 
in my senior year, I am back in the midst of it. In one of my classes, 
we use the 10th edition of "American Government" by James Q. Wilson, a 
well-known conservative academic, and John J. DiIulio, a political 
scientist and former head of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based and 
Community Initiatives. (2005). The text contains a statement, repeated 
three times, that students may not pray in public schools. In this 
edition of the text, the authors drive the point home with a photograph 
of students holding hands and praying outside a school. The caption 
reads: "The Supreme Court will not let this happen inside a public school."

I knew this was false. In fact, students are allowed to pray in schools; 
courts have ruled many times that a student's right to pray may not be 
abridged. What's generally impermissible is state-sponsored prayer, in 
which school officials lead prayer or students are called on or required 
to pray. It seemed clear to me that the purpose of the discussion in the 
textbook was to indoctrinate, not to educate.

Continued reading revealed numerous other instances of bias, as well as 
erroneous and misleading statements. For example, the section on global 
warming begins with a few well-chosen words to set the tone: "It is a 
foolish politician who today opposes environmentalism. And that creates 
a problem because not all environmental issues are equally deserving of 
support. Take the case of global warming."

The authors neglect to mention the growing scientific consensus on this 
subject. They dismiss those who are concerned about global warming -- 
that is, the overwhelming majority of scientists -- as "activists" 
motivated not by data but by "entrepreneurial politics." Those who deny 
or downplay it are described as "skeptical scientists."

Pointing out dissent within the scientific community is appropriate. 
Suggesting that the majority, but not the minority, is politically 
motivated is not appropriate. If a controversy truly exists, then the 
authors should not instruct students which side to "support."

I contacted a not-for-profit group called the Center for Inquiry. It 
enlisted support from scientists, including James Hansen, NASA's top 
climate scientist, and organizations, including Friends of the Earth and 
People for the American Way, to address concerns about the textbook.

What is most distressing is not that some public school teachers preach 
their religion, or that some authors put politics ahead of education. It 
is that it is so rare for anyone to call them on it. This text is widely 
used. Yet to my knowledge, no one has challenged these incorrect and 
misleading statements.

As Americans, we should stand up for our common values. We should 
champion education and settle for nothing less than the best. Our 
teachers should do the same and should not misuse their positions to 
promote their personal agendas.

Matthew LaClair is a high school student in Kearny, N.J.