My thoughts

Regarding the John Dewey quote, "Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society which is coming where everyone is interdependent":

I do believe the mass education has as its goal, the eradication of independent thought in children.

My 9th grade history teacher told us that the best place and time to live was ancient Egypt. She explained how easy life was for the people then, how much food they had, etc. (She probably wasn't taking into consideration the experiences of Jews in that time and place...)

On our final exam, she posed the question, "If you could live anyplace at any time in history, where would it be?"

I, not being stupid, answered, "While I understand that the best place to live was Ancient Egypt, I personally would prefer to have lived..." and I stated my own preference for Medieval England.

She took points off the essay question and wrote across the top of the paper in big red letter, "What about Egypt??"

She apparently didn't even read my answer...

And lowered my grade because I dared independent thought.

This was the same teacher who, under the guise of "studying history" had us write one another's obituaries. She claimed that the Egyptians wrote these obituaries for one another and called it the "Book of the Dead." And this, somehow, enabled the person to get to heaven.

As a kid, I really resented having a student she assigned write my OBITUARY. I didn't care for the task of interviewing this girl so I could write about her as if she were dead, too.

As an adult, I am horrified that that woman was permitted to have control of a classroom of vulnerable minds. She belonged in a loony bin!

And I've since learned that the Egyptian Book of the Dead was nothing like an obituary -- it was composed of things stated in the vicinity of the dead body - instructions on how to be free of the cycle of birth and death.

And people ask me why I homeschool my own children...

Link of the Day:
Dr. Samuel Blumenfeld - Death education at Columbine High