Sunday, September 25, 2011

Just Teach the Kids to Read and Write, 'Kay?, and Knock It Off With the "One World" Indoctrination

A teacher I know was complaining about the Toronto District School Board's CD of "O, Canada." It seems every day at this teacher's school, they play a different version of the song, of which there are 16. The problem is that, while some of the versions aren't bad, or at least, aren't awful, others--including a reggae and a country and western version--are downright silly. As such, they do not convey the proper impression to the kids--i.e. that this is the national song of a country that is "strong and free," and therefore worthy of their respect.

But it seems the CD is the least of it. Poking around on the Web, I learn that it's but a small part of a much larger effort that I had never heard of before. It's called the One World Youth Project, and appears to be some cockamamie, jargon-laden scheme that "links schools around the world to build mutual respect and understanding among students and provide the global life skills needed for success in the interconnected 21st century." Further, it envisions "a just world built through the actions of empowered, discerning and empathetic generations of global citizens!"

M'kay.

What sort of "global life skills" are students supposed to need?
Students must: Develop expert thinking as well as complex communication and collaboration skills to succeed in a globalized 21st century, where they will be called upon to:
1) Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment.
2) Recognize and articulate varied perspectives thoughtfully and respectfully.
3) Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences.
4) Act as discerning participants in a global marketplace and society, viewing themselves as actors in the world.
As for teachers, they apparently want their students to have access to
1) Facilitated peer-to-peer global conversations.
2) Customized global-learning curriculum that also meets local educational standards.
3) Well-managed service-learning.
4) Mentors.
Otherwise--and this part is really alarming in a "if we don't stop climate change now we're all gonna die" kind of way (the bolds are in the original)--
If youth are not introduced to global life skills in formal education, as adults they may not be prepared for success in the 21st century society and economy.
Ooo, scary. Fail to prepare them for success 21st century-style, and how will they ever be able to shmooze convivially at shmancy international conferences and UN-convened "anti-racism" get-togethers?

And should kids fail to be indoctrinated, er, sorry, educated in this "global" way? The One Worlders paint a grim picture of their possible fate. The uneducated could:
1) Have limited access to living wage employment opportunities and be less qualified for executive positions. 
2) Be less likely to pursue higher education.
3) Contribute to xenophobia and experience less social inclusion.
4) Continue to passively perpetuate global injustices rather than work to create a better, shared future.
Yes, that would be horrid.

The question to ask after wading through this leftist, Utopian sludge is: Why are kids being marinated in this "One World"  propaganda, and are parents even aware of what's going on?

4 comments:

Van Grungy said...

"Why are kids being marinated in this "One World" propaganda"

to fulfill the promise of a baha'i new world order based on unity in diversity..

Jim R said...

Good take Scaramouche.

What happened to learning reading, writing, arithmetic, algebra, chemistry, biology, and other harder subjects, requiring actual WORK, in order to survive in a global economic world.

Where do the kids get a time out from all the ideology indoctrination to actual learn what private employers want from them?

China is just loving all this western self-hating, self-destructing, navel-gazing, global love fest. Just sit back and let the competition destroy themselves with "nice and stupid".

scaramouche said...

V.G.--I see it more as fulfilling the UN/OIC new world order.

Jim R--Hey, at least they're being prepared to take their place in NGOs, the diplomatic sphere and other non-productive sectors of society, so their "education" won't have been a total waste of time. ;)

Anonymous said...

We need to dismantle the Faculty of Education.

Let teachers have a degree in their field and a one year teaching practicum.

The Faculties of Education are the problem. Also, the provincial Departments of Education need to be about 1 tenth as big.

Get rid of the "Education" bureaucracy and then maybe we have a hope in hell. Otherwise, it only gets worse.