Lawmakers and citizens in the state of Texas recently attempted to inject ultra-conservative political thinking into educational philosophy when they announced their attempt to eradicate critical thinking from the state’s curriculum.
No, that wasn’t a joke. Critical thinking, or the ability to use higher order thinking skills to analyze, synthesize and evaluate new information, is prized as the summit of the educational process in every corner of the earth.
Well, almost every corner.
The Huffinton Post reported on the story:
The position causing the most controversy, however, is the statement that they oppose the teaching of “higher order thinking skills” — a curriculum which strives to encourage critical thinking — arguing that it might challenge “student’s fixed beliefs” and undermine “parental authority.
Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/texas-republican-party-2012-platform-education_n_1632097.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
News flash: When fixed beliefs are challenged, we get ideas like the helio-centric solar system, The Magna Carta, The Emancipation Proclamation, and last, but certainly not least, Moneyball. When we fearfully maintain the status quo, we get all the not so good stuff that came before those things.
There is something to be said for discretion, for not diving rashly into the unknown without rhyme or rationale. I’m not suggesting that new ideas are sound on the basis of their novelty alone, because they are not.
However, if simple analysis and evaluation are a serious threat to an established idea or way of thinking, then it wasn’t that great of an idea to begin with.
The problem with championing conservative thinking simply because it is conservative is that this never yields any positive innovation. It is by its nature, against change. And I have to think that the driving force behind all this ideological feet dragging isn’t prudence, but fear, plain and simple.
It’s a fact that human beings are naturally resistant to change. However, our greatest and truest leaders have always been those with the courage to implement necessary innovation regardless of the outcry from the fearful majority.
One of the primary purposes of education is to give potential future leaders the tools they need to analyze, evaluate, and innovate a swiftly changing planet. Lawmakers need to stop telling educators what we can and can’t teach, and start asking how they can best help. They need to stop fearfully dragging us toward a romanticized past, and have the pluck to do what they were elected to do: lead us forward.
The Texas Republican Party is clearly lacking this kind of courageous leadership. If they get their way, future generations won’t have the skills, ability or confidence to make needed change either.
Outside of the Classroom 