#23 - Progressive Education - Opinion
Boiling it down to its most simple elements (maybe even over-simplifying it) - Progressives would never say it indirectly, but the want you to believe:
Progressives are smart.
You have a right to comment, but you’re still not as smart as them.
Education covers just about everything, so they are experts at everything.
Don’t complain, be thankful they are here and they know a lot.
Give them more power, money and get out of their way.
Many of the tenants of Progressive Education sound pretty good. Teach from involvement and by example, not from rote memorization from some textbook. Teach students to think critically. Sounds OK. Some of the tenants are a little self-serving and a little over the top, but, for the most part, they’re good principles. Certainly nothing with which you would disagree. Like puppies and kids. Who could be against puppies and kids?
In the late Eighteenth century, it was recognized that intellectuals (artist, writers, musicians, elite citizens, academics, professionals, politicians and philosophers) were probably smart and were better as leaders and they were people who could determine the best direction for culture and politics. It had a certain work-ability to it.
After the Civil War, Southern states discovered the idea that you could influence or even determine what students think. If you can control what they think then you can control them.
John Dewey and others wrote extensively about these lavishly complex ideas about the ethics, morals, psychology and methodology of education. Decades of overthink followed. Experts and Authorities everywhere.
The one theme that always seems to run through it is: We’re smarter. Put us in charge and get out of our way.
Along the way, people with bad intention figured out you could hide ideas and concepts behind all this complexity. You could talk a good pedagogical game and secretly promote things like Racism, Marxism, Atheism, Anti-Religion and Anti-Family, Drugs, Psychiatry and Sex Perversion.
The justifications persist and continue.
We can’t complain. We put them in charge and we gave them the authority to do what they do. Many of the concepts of Progressive Education are a good contribution to education.
But, the deceit and dishonesty need to be eliminated. Now.
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