Wow..Really?Texas cutting school curriculum, Jefferson apparently doesnt matter? Options

[CelicaST_CALI]

BBC link
Texas schools to get controversial syllabus


Texas' decisions could influence curriculums across the US

Education officials in the US state of Texas have adopted new guidelines to the school curriculum, which critics say will politicise teaching.

The changes include teaching that the UN could be a threat to American freedom, and that the Founding Fathers may not have intended a complete separation of church and state.

Critics say the changes are ideological and distort history.

However, proponents argue they are redressing a liberal bias in education.

Analysts say Texas, with five million schoolchildren, wields substantial influence on school curriculums across the US.

The BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles says publishers of textbooks used nationally often print what Texas wants to teach.
Jefferson out

Students in Texas will now be taught the benefits of US free-market economics and how government taxation can harm economic progress.

They will study how American ideals benefit the world but organisations such as the UN could be a threat to personal freedom.

And Thomas Jefferson has been dropped from a list of enlightenment thinkers in the world-history curriculum, despite being one of the Founding Fathers who is credited with developing the idea that church and state should be separate.

The doctrine has become a cornerstone of US government, but some religious groups and some members of the Texas Education Board disagree, our correspondent says.

The board, which is dominated by Christian conservatives, voted nine-to-five in favour of adopting the new curriculum for both primary and secondary schools.

But during the discussions some of the most controversial ideas were dropped - including a proposal to refer to the slave trade as the "Atlantic triangular trade".

Opponents of the changes worry that textbooks sold in other states will be written to comply with the new Texas standards, meaning that the alterations could have an impact on curriculums nationwide.

This post has been edited by CelicaST_CALI: May 31, 2010 - 3:49 AM

[Supersprynt]

first of all why is texas, of all places determining anything? how did that come about? never understood that. 2nd, why are people LETTING this happen?!? its bad enough young african american kids dont know their heritage, but for it to be omitted,chopped and screwed is an additional slap in the face. i cant BELIVE theyre leaving out important bits about thomas jefferson!!

I'm in the educational publishing business so I'll answer this one. Texas is a HUGE money market for text books, thus; they decide which ones to use, and since they decide what their curriculum is they choose the text books that most closely adhere to it. Therefore, lots of text book writers (yes guys actually write them) and publishers cater to the larger accounts.

This, ladies and gentleman, is how history is written. Not with facts, but with figures. It's a scary thought when conservatives in strict Bible-adhering areas decide what your children learn and what parts of science & history are left completely out.

This post has been edited by Supersprynt: Jun 1, 2010 - 11:36 AM