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I wish that teachers put more emphasis on the three Rs (Readin' Rightin' and Rithmatic) since the schools are turning out way too many functional illiterates who can't make change. It would demonstrate that they know what their primary job is; educating children in an effort to help them be functional members of society, rather than focusing on agenda driven indoctrination.

History is difficult because it is about humans and our flaws have created historical horrors. Teaching children that those horrors were inherent to a given race is as you wrote, racist.

The point where you noticed that she never mentioned children/kids was telling. I might have not noticed if you hadn't and then mentioned it. It said a lot because it was unsaid. Thank you for that.

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I completely agree. As you say, it would also give them less time to try to turn children into ideologues instead of independent thinkers.

But I think the real problem is the social pressure to accept certain ideas as truth rather than ideas. It wouldn't really matter what was being taught in schools if kids were genuinely free to challenge and question the ideas. If teachers encouraged them to do so and presented multiple perspectives for them to consider.

The facts of history are the facts. I'm not suggesting there are "multiple sides" to look at slavery from for example. But the idea of collective responsibility passed down through the generations? It feels like that's an idea that can only take root if its the only one you've ever heard.

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