How Public Schools Assault Parents' Values

Written by Joel Turtel


Continued from page 1

Values clarification classes deliberately teach children to be nonjudgmental about moral values. Values-clarification debates often turn into "bull" sessions where each student gives their opinion about a moral issue but conclusions are never reached. In these classes,repparttar teacher-facilitator often acts like a talk-show host who getsrepparttar 144044 students to debate such topics asrepparttar 144045 merits or bad consequences of stealing, lying, pre-marital sex, or taking drugs.

In sex-education classes, sexual behavior is often described in purely mechanical terms and sexual choices are presented as morally neutral options or simply personal preferences each student has to decide for themselves. Similarly, in many drug-education programsrepparttar 144046 same non-judgemental attitude often prevails -- students are encouraged to talk aboutrepparttar 144047 good and bad consequences of taking drugs without reaching a clear moral conclusion.

Many public schools teach children that only self gratification and their feelings ofrepparttar 144048 moment matter, that there are no moral absolutes. Admittedly, some parents are to blame for not teaching their children good ethical values, but values clarification programs are an assault onrepparttar 144049 time-tested values most parents teach their children.

Since ancient times, all societies have known that certain acts are inherently wrong and immoral. This knowledge became embedded in a cultural or religious moral code, which recognized that human beings must respect each other’s person and property. Judaism and Christianity, for example, teach that lying, stealing, or murdering another human being is wrong, not only because they’re prohibited byrepparttar 144050 Ten Commandments, but because they are inherently unjust to other human beings.

With rare exceptions, such as killing in self-defense,repparttar 144051 morality of these basic values seldom depends onrepparttar 144052 situation orrepparttar 144053 individual. All of us are born withrepparttar 144054 same rights to life, liberty, and property. Respect for each other's rights and person simply reflects this fact of life.

Because values clarification programs teach children that all values are subjective, they destroy real values and corrupt children atrepparttar 144055 deepest level. If all values are subjective, there is no moral difference between mercy and murder, honesty and theft, sexual consent and rape, loyalty and treachery, or fidelity and adultery.

In a world where anything goes, children are turned into amoral creatures who will do anything to satisfy their momentary desires. Yet these arerepparttar 144056 insidious moral anti-values that public schools now promote with values-clarification classes.

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst. He is also the author of "The Welfare State: No Mercy For The Middle Class." Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348, Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel.


Public Schools Can Cripple Your Children's Ability To Read

Written by Joel Turtel


Continued from page 1

Author and education researcher Charles J. Sykes describes whole-language reading instruction in one first-grade classroom in his book "Dumbing Down Our Kids":

“Reading instruction begins with “pre-reading strategies” in which “children predict whatrepparttar story is about by looking atrepparttar 144043 title andrepparttar 144044 pictures. Background knowledge is activated to getrepparttar 144045 children thinking aboutrepparttar 144046 reading topic.” Then they readrepparttar 144047 story. If a child does not recognize a word, they are told to “look for clues.”

“The whole-language curriculum gave specific suggestions that children: “Look atrepparttar 144048 pictures,” ask “What would make sense?” “Look for patterns,” “Look for clues,” and “Skiprepparttar 144049 word and read ahead and then go back torepparttar 144050 word.” Finally, if all this fails, parents/teachers are told, “Tellrepparttar 144051 childrepparttar 144052 word. . . .”

“When kids couldn’t figure out a word, educationists gave these further ions: “Ask a friend, skiprepparttar 144053 word, substitute another meaningful word.” Sykes then asks, "Look atrepparttar 144054 pictures. Skiprepparttar 144055 word. Ask a friend. Is this reading?"

Duringrepparttar 144056 1990s, when whole-language instruction was in full force, outraged parents bitterly complained about their children's deteriorating ability to read. In response, public schools acrossrepparttar 144057 country then reverted to their usual tactics --- they keptrepparttar 144058 failed policy but changed its name.

Many public schools today say they now teach kids to read with "balanced reading instruction." What this means is they combine whole-language instruction with a smattering of phonics. "See," they can say to parents, "we are now teaching your kids phonics." The only problem is that too oftenrepparttar 144059 "balance" is still about 80 percent whole-language, and 20 percent phonics, if and whenrepparttar 144060 teacher thinks phonics is "needed" in "special cases."

If you were a doctor and were treating a patient for a serious infection, would you giverepparttar 144061 patient a "balanced" cure of arsenic and antibiotics? That isrepparttar 144062 moral and practical status of "balanced" reading instruction where whole-language instruction still predominates, because whole-language isrepparttar 144063 arsenic of reading-instruction methods.

Parents, don't let public-school officials fool you with their glib talk of "balanced reading instruction." You need to personally investigate how your local school teaches your kids to read. The best thing to do is to test your children's true reading abilities with an outside, independent testing company. You may be shocked byrepparttar 144064 outcome ofrepparttar 144065 test. The Resources section of "Public Schools, Public Menace," lists many such independent reading-testing companies.

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst. He is also the author of "The Welfare State: No Mercy For The Middle Class." Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.


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