Schools run scared of teaching politics because they might be accused of being partisan. That is ridiculous. It never stops them when it comes to religion.
We have generations of adults who have limited understanding of what political parties stand for, how they were founded, who they represent, the history of the social struggles that took place and the value of democracy.
I believe this is wrong.
The teaching of politics is fundamental to the education of all adults. If you do not understand what philosophy lies behind a political view you are not in a position to understand the glib propaganda put out by the political parties to get you to vote for them.
In a democracy it is essential that people are well informed, educated and knowledgeable. Otherwise they become cynically manipulated.
For this reason I would have a clear and unbiased syllabus that clarifies the philosophy of the parties, their formation, history and raison d’etre. I would ensure every child leaves school knowing what the parties represent and able to see which fits with their own philosophy.
They should be fully aware of all the major events that have led to our one person/one vote democracy and the major events in our struggle for social equality, rights, freedoms and justice.
I have a good grasp on all that.
My overriding philosophy has always been freedom, justice and equality. I believe in fairness.
That is why I vote Labour. It is also why I will vote for Jeremy Corbyn and not for the psuedoTories who have taken over the Labour Party. I do not want watered down toryism.
I don’t think politics needs to be taught in schools. It seems to me that children are mostly quite knowledgeable about politics anyway. Although in my opinion all politics is as bad as another. No matter what agenda they are pushing to get through the ‘ballot’, they all leave broken promises in its wake.
Hi Lesley. Thanks for your input. They certainly do leave a litany of broken promises in their wake. But I do believe there are substantial differences between parties. The Tories were inaugurated by a group of business men to further the interests of business. The Labour Party was inaugurated by the Trade Union movement to further the interests of working people. They both want business to flourish but have different views on how to spend the income. This results in different patterns of taxation, different winners and losers, different distribution of wealth and a different ethos for the country. I believe, despite the broken promises, that it does make a substantial difference. The ethos of the country changes under different governments.
It is also my experience, despite the fact that I know many kids are very savvy politically, that a lot of people have no understanding of the underlying philosophy and aims of the political parties or the social struggles that have given us our rights and freedoms. They were paid for with struggle and blood and never given freely. I just watched the film The Suffragettes and was amazed to find that Switzerland only gave the vote to women in 1975.
Anyway – thanks for your input – it is always good to talk – all the best – Opher
I think we could be a lot more educated about “politics” per se. We need to know more about HOW the government works (or is supposed to) and how it doesn’t. And more importantly, what we have to do if we want to change it. In the states our schools fall far short of giving students a clear view of those basic facts. No wonder there are so many confused adults who don’t know what it means to vote. Learning what specific parties espouse from one election to the next is difficult, and I think it can only be done in real time because it changes as rapidly as our technology.
I think they do here too. Some things are covered in depth and others missed out. There is a big fear of teachers being too partisan and brainwashing kids. There is a danger of that but I believe the main risk of that comes from not creating a clear narrative in the syllabus. Kids need to be taught the mechanics, history and philosophies in a clear and unbiased manner. All political groups should have an opportunity to produce materials and debate. I think young adults are brilliant at assimilating, coming to their own views, challenging and resisting efforts to channel them. I put my faith in the youngsters. They merely need the facts.
It might be worse: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
Thanks Matt – Ken Robinson is brilliant. I admire him greatly. Thanks for putting this link here. He is a great and inspiring talker and he makes so much sense.
Schools used to promote creativity but under this government it is stifled. I agree creativity is every bit as important as literacy!
In my time during the 70’s, we got all that in History class which I did right up to 6th year.
There again these teachers were pretty good, real classically trained bods, with the gown et all.
I think it’s just way too early to celebrate Corbyn, although for a Labourite he appears to be a breath of fresh air. If only he could lose the shackles of that Labour tag, as it was that ilk that took us to disaster in middle-east and financial dire straits. How can we ever trust the Labour party with the country’s finances again in the near future? His choice of some cabinet members is remarkable and the party is untenable.
It’s quite obvious in cases that parents, in a similar manner to indoctrination of religion with children, do the very same with political views.
I didn’t experience that in my childhood home, but perhaps because I wasn’t dragged up on some horrid council estate I was given opportunity to think for myself.
I think it depends on who you are lucky enough to get as a teacher. Indoctrination is a terrible thing and needs countering with good, unbiased education.
I like Corbyn and what he stands for. It remains to be seen whether he can hold it together or the forces pull it apart or dilute it too much. He has to be a bit pragmatic.
As for Blaire well he was watered down Tory, like a number of present day Labour MPs, – a shade better than Tories.
The Labour Party was responsible for going in with Bush in the fiasco of the Middle East but I don’t hold them responsible for the financial collapse. Under Blaire we had a surplus for the first time for yonks. It was only at the end that Brown borrowed too much and then when the world went pear-shaped it all went horribly wrong. He wasn’t responsible for that mess. That was the fault of the banks, the lack of proper supervision and restrictions, and started in the USA. I don’t have any worries about trusting them with finances. I do with the Tories. They are cynically feeding the top end and taking from the bottom. I don’t trust them an inch.
Corbyn is the best breath of air I’ve breathed for a long, long while.
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
The political understanding of the population is scandalous!! Politics should be compulsory!!