Incurable Religion: Searching for Tolerance

      In March of 1890, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled, in conclusion to the Weiss v. the District Board case, that bible readings and devotionals in public schools were unconstitutional. Justice H.S. Orton of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin noted the following after the ruling:

“There is no such source and cause of strife, quarrel, fights, malignant opposition, persecution, and war, and all evil in the state, as religion. Let it once enter our civil affairs, our government would soon be destroyed. Let it once enter our common schools, they would be destroyed….Those who made our Constitution saw this, and used the most apt and comprehensive language in it to prevent such a catastrophe.”

      While Orton is “civically” correct, according to the civic philosophies of John Locke (made constitutional through Thomas Jefferson), I argue that he couldn’t be more wrong about religion within our education (or our “common schools,” as he puts it).  

Changing education paradigms

The title is borrowed from Sir Kenneth Robinson, an English author, speaker and international adviser on education. He has great ideas about changing education which resonate strongly with me. I believe that schools tend to smother creativity in order to “educate” us and this needs to be changed.

I began to think about the common core and how that is structured to make sure all students are at the same level, learning all the same things. Who is to say that is the right way? Who is in charge of making these decisions? It is the Council of Chief State School Officers. You can read about them at http://www.ccsso.org/who_we_are.html

Their promise is that their officers are “committed to creating a public education system that prepares every child for lifelong learning, work, and citizenship… by addressing and increasing the capacity to produce students ready to succeed as productive members of society.” What I find interesting is their use of the word “produce” which means to “make or manufacture from components or raw material.” It seems as though they have a goal to produce a certain type of citizens that they want. But who is to say that their way is the right one? What determines a successful person?

There is a story from the 1930s about a young girl who couldn't focus in school. All her teachers and thus her mother assumed she must have a learning disability. So her mother took her to the doctor. He ran some tests and then came to a conclusion. He told the young girl that he needed to step out of the room and talk with her mother. He turned on some music and left the room. He and the mother watched the girl through a two way mirror as she began to move around and dance to the music. The doctor looked at the mother and told her that nothing was wrong with her daughter, she is just a dancer. That young girl was Gillian Lynn, who went on to become a famous ballet dancer and choreographer. Nowadays she would have been diagnosed with ADHD and been given some meds to help her “focus” in the classroom. We need to stand up for our educational liberties and take away some of the authority from the people who claim that they know how to “produce” successful and productive citizens.

Work Hard, Play Hard

When was the last time you played? The last time you simply ignored your responsibilities and enjoyed yourself? As a child, play comes easily and consumes most of our time. Even if it’s not classified as “play,” spending quality time on leisure activities has been highly valued for centuries. In days of old, people often spent time on leisure activities and they saw the value of art, literature, and discovery.

When America was formed though, the focus quickly turned from the value of play to the value of work. In America, if you work hard, you have a greater chance to “become something”. As an adult, play takes us away from work and is seen as a hindrance in our progression towards success. Taking time to enjoy yourself is seen as selfish and irresponsible. Why play if you knew that a few more hours of work would put you ahead of the rest? So what do we do? We work ourselves straight to our graves. Compared to the world, American’s enjoy the least amount of vacation and we are suffering because of it.

A year ago, I was trying to relax while watching TV when a car ad popped up. The character was rambling about how American’s were superior to the world because our drive for work and excellence was going to take us places. Oddly enough, I was saddened. Why are we working so hard if we are never going to take the time to enjoy our progress? There will always be time for work. Maybe instead of becoming overwhelmed by our responsibilities, we should take the time to love the world we are in for a change. So put down the homework. Close your notebooks. Turn of the TV. Set down your phone. Just go play.