Behind The Veneer Of Public Education

Americans who love their country and its heritage have been outraged as they learned of Aurora Colorado geography teacher Jay Bennish, who was recorded by a student last month as he spewed anti-American diatribe to his class. But should anyone really be surprised? By no means is this an isolated incident.

Students who have been immersed in similar venom are alarmingly easy to spot. They are the geography students who can fluently regurgitate the wisdom of Cindy Sheehan, but who cannot find Oklahoma on a map.

They are the math students who can elaborate on the “failures” of Reaganomics and the inherent superiority of Maoist fiscal policy, but who cannot make change when working behind a cash register. And they are the history students who can recite the lyrics of every Vietnam era protest song and believe World War II was only about the internment of Japanese Americans, but who have not a clue as to the historical significance of Washington or Lincoln.

Amazingly, the liberal education establishment has, over the past several decades, brilliantly turned this deplorable situation into an ongoing political and financial boon. As students’ academic scores continue to tumble, the inevitable result of being taught such claptrap in lieu of traditional education, educrats invariably respond with endless calls for increased funding, ostensibly to “fix” the problem.

Throughout the nation, the annual “fix” to the education crisis is enormous increases in budgetary allotments towards education, with no commensurate academic improvement.

Any responsible legislator who refuses to go along with this ruse is publicly excoriated as being “anti-education” and “anti-child.” Few possess the courage or principle to face such a firestorm. So, budgets continue to bloat, staffing is increased, facilities undergo costly upgrades, and in the end, the indoctrination continues unabated.

Why, in the midst of such a program that bestows incentives for failure, should the education establishment ever consider changing course? Indeed, on the day that schools begin turning out brighter students who score better on their SAT tests, the “education” lobby will lose its most powerful weapon for pressuring legislative bodies and the general public to allow it even greater access to the public trough.

It is beyond naive to hope that this abysmal cycle will somehow correct itself, especially as long as the current situation keeps providing such a reliable “win/win” for the left.

Nevertheless, it is primarily the parents of school-aged children who bear ultimate responsibility for this dismal state of affairs. As is evident from the public outrage and surprise over the Colorado episode, most Americans remain unaware of the degree to which government schools have mutated into something grotesquely distorted from their original purpose.

To this day, far too many parents staunchly believe that such abominable events are not happening in their own communities, and that their own children’s declining test scores will indeed be fixable if school budgets are expanded during the next legislative session. This situation cannot ever be expected to change until the public becomes thoroughly aware of the extent of the problem and commits to the difficult task of true educational reform.

Unfortunately, from federal to local levels, the political system is presently stacked against any such fix. Among the “highlights” of President Bush’s first term was a multi-billion dollar education bill, passed with the collaboration of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.

Doggedly opposing true reform, Kennedy was nonetheless able to funnel unfathomable sums of money into the hands of a political lobby that will ensure much of it returns to the campaign coffers of liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, he can cast himself as a patron saint of “education” and an advocate of children, all with the public blessing of a Republican President.

Only when conservative office holders muster the courage to face the inevitable political fallout, will America have any hope of changing the status quo. Until then, the Colorado situation will predictably recur on an endless basis, its victims moving henceforth into society to conduct their lives, and perhaps participate in government, philosophically undergirded by such criminally fraudulent information.

And liberal educrats will not stop there. Look for them to pursue an ever-expanding reach. The Colorado student who secretly recorded his ranting teacher on an MP3 player had obviously not been properly indoctrinated.

Thus can be explained the seeming disparity between the education establishment’s inability to fulfill its traditional responsibilities, in contrast to its craven aspirations for an ever greater role in rearing the next generation.

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Airy-Fairy education in Australia

Universities and TAFE colleges are turning out graduates who are not "job-ready" and have skills better suited to academic pursuits, warn leading Australian business groups. The Business Council of Australia accuses universities of stifling the "culture of entrepreneurship", producing graduates without adequate problem-solving skills. The group, which represents the nation's 100 biggest companies, says this failure is choking creativity and limiting Australia's competitiveness in the global market. In a major report backed by companies across many industries, the BCA will urge academics to put greater emphasis on communication skills and to ensure that students are given a solid grounding in the basic skills required in the workplace.



The BCA report, due for release today, comes as federal Education Minister Julie Bishop considers proposals to introduce a "job-ready" rating into Year 12 certificates. "Employers are concerned about the lack of skills regarding creativity, initiative, oral business communication and problem-solving among graduates," the report says. "Research still shows a significant lack of entrepreneurial skills among Australians. "There is increasing recognition of the importance of delivering 'employability skills' associated with communication, teamwork and problem-solving for innovative business. "Courses and programs needed to be practice-based, relevant and appropriate for business innovation needs -- rather than suiting particular academic interests and pursuits."

The report also says that red tape, infrastructure gaps and Australia's tax system all work against innovation. Companies warned that the tax system requires reform to encourage business innovation and the personal taxation system was a "major constraint" in attracting talented workers from overseas. The BCA argues for a broader definition of innovation that includes business strategy and training. "Many companies also raised various concerns about the ability of the education and training system to deliver the skills that were essential for business innovation success," the report warns. "Many companies noted that the education and training systems were not providing graduates with the technical skills appropriate to industry innovation needs. For example, a number of companies noted that university engineering graduates were not skilled in simulation techniques that were being increasingly used throughout business."

The claims prompted an angry response last night from one of the nation's most respected university chiefs, Melbourne University vice-chancellor Glyn Davis, who urged business to "produce the evidence" that graduate quality was in decline. The chairman of the Group of 8 "sandstone universities", Professor Davis said the opinions of the BCA did not constitute evidence. "The fact is that 95per cent of graduates are snapped up within three months of leaving university," he said. "I don't know if there's much graduate-bashing around but I do know we track performance. "I do know our graduates get jobs and they are highly skilled. "One of the big issues for Australia is the big number of graduates who head overseas and have no trouble getting jobs in the UK, China and India."

In a separate report also due for release today by the BCA, Changing Paradigms, one of Australia's biggest car manufacturers, Holden, says engineering graduates are a particular concern. "Holden Innovation considers that universities have fallen behind in the ability to meet industry needs," the report says. Australia's biggest independent oil and gas exploration company, Woodside, also notes that the education system is "not turning out enough skilled people". Insurance Australia Group also raises concerns about the shortage of workers in the panel-beating and motor vehicle repair trades.

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL schools should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the poor and minimal regulation.

The NEA and similar unions worldwide believe that children should be thoroughly indoctrinated with Green/Left, feminist/homosexual ideology but the "3 R's" are something that kids should just be allowed to "discover"

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