American schools and colleges used to mostly teach key skills and knowledge. Often, they were pretty good at it. But then the “progressives” figured out that they could use them to spread their ideas, and so the content of education began changing — more propaganda for leftism, less knowledge.
In recent years, the transformation has accelerated, as the Left has become more blatant in their efforts, especially with the teaching of critical race theory. In a new book entitled Splintered, Jonathan Butcher details the rise of this pedagogy and its terrible impact on American education at all levels. I review it for the Martin Center today.
The book’s subtitle is “Critical Race Theory and the Progressive War on Truth,” and that sums up the problem. The Left is intent on substituting its ideology for the pursuit of truth. Students will be trained to accept the clichés of “progressivism,” and people who disagree will be canceled.
One feature of CRT “teaching” is its relentless negativity. Students are taught that all white people are hostile racists and all people “of color” are hopeless victims of a society that is rigged against them. Butcher notes that you’ll never hear anything about the many successes of black Americans, nor any criticism of the harm that government programs and policies have done in the name of “help.” The one big thing that the Left wants students to take away is that America must be radically transformed, which is exactly what the control freaks of the Left want.
To be armed against the CRT onslaught, I strongly recommend reading Splintered.