Hat tip Total Conservative
Amid all the textbook controversy in our schools (mostly 7th grade) that are teaching our kids a sugar-coated presentation of Islam, we now know that President Obama's Department of Education is feeding our schools material on what to teach. Total Conservative has a reaction.
http://totalconservative.com/department-of-education-confronts-anti-muslim-bias-in-schools/
Here is more from the Parent Herald regarding the concerns of DOE.
http://www.parentherald.com/articles/39508/20160427/department-education-encourages-islam-
classrooms-stop-muslim-bullying.htm
Going to the source, I went to the DOE web site. The below link (after entering the search word, "Islam") brought up this page.
http://eric.ed.gov/?q=islam&ft=on
I also found this page interesting.
http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED419740
"This simulation allows students to learn about the history and culture of Islam and the Islamic world by "becoming" Muslims. There are five phases of the unit. Students are assigned to a city, choose an Arabic name, and become familiar with their group and responsibilities outlined in the Student Guide. In the introduction section, students take a pretest, read a short history of Islam, and learn about Muslim dress and customs. In the Caravan Days section, cities compete to answer quiz cards and collect Arabic money. Oasis Days gives time for students to complete several tasks required of every group in the simulation. In Festival Days each group presents its own festival project. The Islamic Bowl culminates the unit with each city providing contestants for a "college-bowl" type of activity. (EH)"
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Fousesquawk comment: I don't want to see any kids bullied in school, and that includes Muslim kids. Yet, I am unconvinced that this is a problem. All these so-called hate crimes that CAIR is always talking about are greatly exaggerated in my view. FBI crime statistics bear that out.
As for schools "educating" parents about their kids' bullying, this has been an issue ever since the days of the little red schoolhouse, one that transcends ethnicity or religion. Full disclosure: When I was a kid, I was bullied (until I learned to fight), and I was guilty of bullying myself with one particular student who was obese. (If I could ever find that person, I would beg his forgiveness.) Suffice to say, my kids know that bullying is wrong.
Our schools have a duty to teach facts-not misinformation. From the textbook controversy we already know that 7th grade kids all over the country are getting a distorted, politically correct version of Islam, one that is so misleading as to be false. I am not asking that schools trash Islam in the classroom. That would be grossly injurious to Muslim kids. But if they cannot present it accurately, they should leave it alone altogether.
And the Department of Education should stay out of it altogether as well. Local schools don't need federal guidance in this area.
"Practicing" a religion as an educational exercise is always dubious.
ReplyDeleteRoman Catholic children learning what it is like to take communion without going to confession first, what it is like to stomp on a crucifix, what it is like to spend Lent enjoying your favorite foods and past-times...
Protestant children learning what it is like to kiss a crucifix, genuflect, pray for the intercession of the Queen of Heaven and various saints...
Jewish children learning what it is like to take communion, to pray to "Father, Son and Holy Ghost," to eat yeast bread for Easter even if it does sometimes fall during Passover...
It doesn't add up right. The fact that there is come controversy about Islam in the world at this time, that Islam is more or less the state religion of certain ethnicities... doesn't make it a good multi-cultural tool to assign students to "practice" a religious faith.
Only Gary would agree by saying no.
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