In his honor, I reproduce here the 26-point "Don'ts for Students" distributed in 1981 by the North Carolina Moral Majority. I did a quick look around and it doesn't seem like these are on the internet anywhere else. So, my spouse and I did this as a dramatic reading tonight: it was in my spouse's old braille files (thanks to an old friend who'd brailled it) so the quickest way to get it onto the computer was to read it out loud to me. Fun, too.
Don'ts for students.
1. Don't get into science-fiction values discussions or trust a teacher who dwells on science fiction in his/her "teaching."2. Don't discuss the future or future social arrangements or governments in class.
3. Don't discuss values.
4. Don't write a family history.
5. Don't answer personal questions or questions about members of your family.
6. Don't play blindfolded games in class.
7. Don't exchange "opinions" on political or social issues.
8. Don't write an autobiography.
9. Don't keep a journal of your opinions, activities and feelings.
10. Don't take intelligence tests. Write tests only on your lessons. Force others to judge you on your own personal achievement.
11. Don't discuss boy-girl or parent-child relationships in class.
12. Don't confide in teachers, particularly sociology or social studies and english teachers.
13. Don't judge a teacher by his/her appearance or personality, but on his/her competence as a teacher of solid knowledge.
14. Don't think a teacher is doing you a favor if he/she gives you a good grade for poor work or in useless subjects.
15. Don't join any social action or social work group.
16. Don't take "social studies" or "future studies." Demand course definition: history, geography, civics, French, English, etc.
17. Don't role-play or participate in socio-dramas.
18. Don't worry about the race or color of your classmates. Education is of the mind, not the body.
19. Don't get involved in school-sponsored or government-sponsored exchange or camping programs which place you in the homes of strangers.
20. Don't be afraid to say "no" to morally corrupting literature, games and activities.
21. Don't submit to psychological testing.
22. Don't fall for books like "Future Shock," which are intended to put readers in a state of panic about "change" so they will be willing to accept slavery. Advances in science and technology don't drive people into shock. It is government and vain-brain intrusions in private lives, which cause much of the unbalance in nature and in people.
23. Don't get into classroom discussions which being: What would you do if....? What if....? Should we....? Do you suppose....? Do you think....? What is your opinion of....? Who should....? What might happen if....? Do you value....? Is it moral to....?
24. Don't sell out important principles for money, a scholarship, a diploma, popularity or a feeling of importance.
25. Don't think you have to associate with morally corrupt people or sanction their corruption just because "society" now accepts such behavior.
26. Don't get discouraged. If you stick to firm principles, others will respect you for it and perhaps gain courage from your example.
Something tells me that he wouldn't have approved of blogging....
[crossposted at Progressive Historians]
6 comments:
Something tells me that he didn't approve of education.
That list was just a long way to say "Go to school if you must, but whatever you do, don't learn anything!"
I dunno. Sounds like good tips for a conservative attending Columbia and hoping to get a passing grade so that he/she can get a good job and then forget everything he/she learned in Columbia. Which is the purpose of our educational system.
I think you've both got it about right: it's one of the first salvos in the "education shouldn't challenge our preconceived notions" war which is still going on today.
I feel as though I've been snarked at but I can't figure out why or how. Well done, sir.
As usual, it just depends on whose preconceived notions are being, and not being, questioned.
No, Mr. Jones, it's not the same thing. This list represents a complete rejection of critical thinking and the development of important citizenship skills.
I really can't think of an equivalent on the other side.
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