[school]

[tellitslant]

I seem to have a whole bunch of posts floating around in my head and only the silly ones get made, but here's a good serious one for you.

There was a link today on academics_anon to this Guardian Unlimited story: Silence in Class, on the purported witchhunt being conducted against many liberal professors on American campuses. Which, wow, is an incredibly disturbing concept, and something that I hadn't heard even a whisper of up here, thank god.

Here's the bit that is to me most inexplicable, though:
Since February, the normally sleepy, wealthy district of Upper St Clair in Pennsylvania has been riven with arguments over its curriculum after the local school board banned the International Baccalaureate (IB), the global educational programme, for being an "un-American" marxist and anti-Christian. During their election campaign, the Republicans of Upper St Clair referred to the IB, which is offered in 122 countries and whose student intake has risen by 73% worldwide in the past five years, as though it was part of an international communist conspiracy, suspicious of a curriculum that had been "developed in a foreign country" (Switzerland). "Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and we have to be careful about what values our children are taught," said one Republican board member. Similar campaigns have also sprung up recently at school boards in Minnesota and Virginia.

What the motherfucking hell. (You see how IB has given me such an extensive vocabulary to use.) Granted this article is probably focussing on a small and extremist section of the country, but just... the utter lack of any sort of logical thought process here astounds me. I can understand what about university professors might compel the right-wing wackos to attack them. But I have absolutely no frame of reference for what could possibly be evil about IB. I mean, yeah, Switzerland has always been so very threatening. Aside from that, it's not like IB supplants a state's curriculum or anything - it simply adds to it. And I have no idea what of the IB curriculum could possibly be construed, even remotely, as un-American or anti-Christian.

It boggles the mind, honestly. And it is profoundly disturbing.

Comments

[rhipowered.livejournal.com]

Huh. 'Cause I keep hearing about the vendetta against conservative profs.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

I suspect that what it comes down to is that the right wing in the U.S. is threatened by anything that isn't American. That explains a lot of things, if you think about it.

-J

[samy.livejournal.com]

Heck they're even threatened by half of those who are Americans.

[samy.livejournal.com]

And I have no idea what of the IB curriculum could possibly be construed, even remotely, as un-American or anti-Christian.

Maybe IB teaches the theory of evolution. Or maybe IB educates its students on the tactics used by the Nazis. My favorite Göring quote:

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for the lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

I could imagine that the Bush administration would *hate* seeing people being taught the above quote.

[labellamafia494.livejournal.com]

Pfffft. Not to mention you can choose the Americas as an option in History HL. But *banning* it? Pennsylvania? You've got to be fucking kidding. I guess simply because the IB wants us to avoid monolithic "personal" explanations of the Stalinist terror and go beyond the "it was EVOL PROPAGANDA" without assessing the importance of the context, the program is branded marxist. LOL.

..that is a scary level of imbecility.

Now if they were banning the IB because it completely fucks up your sleep schedule, does not help you later and burns you out to the point of never wanting to work again, then I'd have more respect. *g*

[babylikesshiny.livejournal.com]

Off topic, but your icon made me giggle. Heee!