Monday in Get Schooled, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Bridget Gutierrez asks, "But will public education ever not be political?" My instinctive answer was spawned more by my not-always-well-controlled sarcastic tongue, "Will water ever not be wet?" Anything publicly funded is inherently political. But when did we as a nation develop such a disdain for politics? It is one of the highest pursuits of man. Consider Noah Webster's view back in 1828:POL'ITICS, n. The science of government; that part of ethics which consists in the regulation and governing of a nation or state, for the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity; comprehending the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals. Politics, as a science or an art, is a subject of vast extent and importance.Education is a natural extension of any nation's political philosophy. It deals with fundamental issues of how we seek to preserve our individual and national prosperity, secure our individual rights and improve our morals. It need not be publicly funded to attain these goals. Indeed, once the state becomes involved with education, we must wrestle with questions such as "Whose prosperity?" "Whose rights?" "Whose morality?"
State control of education naturally allows the minds of our children to fall prey to a more modern definition of politics:
4. Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power.And I think perhaps I have mentioned this before, but herein lies the ever-present question of socialization.
Hat tip: Sherman Dorn
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Related Tags: homeschooling, education, politics, socialization
