WHAT SHOULD WE BE TEACHING - CONFORMITY OR CRITICAL THOUGHT?

  "There is no such thing as a neutral educational process. Education either functions as an instrument that is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the 'practice of freedom', the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world." - Richard Shaull, as quoted in the Forward of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2009) James Clavell's, The Children's Story, is a must-read commentary for both children and adults that addresses such topics as brainwashing and mind-control, education, freedom, patriotism, and religion. The message of Clavell's short novel is a frightening one as he demonstrates the power an educator holds over impressionable young minds. How successful will today's children be in sifting through the enormous amount of information they are presented with every day? We can take this yet another step further and wonder how equipped today's adults are in filtering through the massive amount of information they are presented with from newspapers and TV? Clavell suggests that we need to cast doubts on how our school systems operate. Over the last few months, these doubts have been demonstrated by the opt-out protests taking place all over Long Island. He further suggests that we need to cast doubts on how our government works. Is it for the betterment of our health and safety, or is it for big business and the money it generates? One of the most important elements of the teachings that take place in our schools is to promote critical thinking - to think out of the box. We encourage our students to learn and analyze and apply the knowledge they've acquired to help them make educated decisions. Yet when these students become adults and they choose to exercise this inherent freedom of critical thought, they are more often than not  met with disdain for their efforts. There are dangers inherent in the freedoms of critical thought as we exercise our right and responsibility to question our educational system and the operations of our government. No doubt, there is safety in conformity. It's easier to be silent and stand back watching in disbelief as our government operates, creating laws and opportunities for industry to pollute our air, and soil, and water in the name of progress. When we question the use of GMO foods, the pollution caused by fracking, the applications of herbicides and pesticides on our lawns, the uses of carcinogens in our detergents and household products, and the use of toxic chemicals to treat utility poles, we are considered the thorns in society. Conformity, silence, and agreeing with the status quo is what our educational system and our government really wants from its citizens. So why teach critical thought? Disagreeing, voicing an educated opinion, the very basis of a democracy, isn't welcomed. It is my belief that critical thinking is necessary to keep a balance on the way our schools and local, state, and federal governments operate. It's the people who dare to be outspoken, the people who have the courage to challenge the laws of the land who should be congratulated for taking the time and energy to stand up for what they believe in - a quality education where every child learns how to read and write, and that the planet will be safe for the seventh generation.