A Tragedy in North Carolina

Recently the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which oversees curriculum in the state's public schools, offered a proposal that the teaching of American History in the 11th grade be altered to cover only events since 1877. This would leave out the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Colonial Period, the eras of exploration and expansionism, as well as the history of slavery and minorities prior to 1877. The presidencies of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln would be left out, as well as the struggle for emancipation. Rutherford Hayes would be the first president studied. To be fair, the state has indicated that these topics would still be included in curricula for the earlier grades, but one has to wonder if it is a wise decision to leave out coverage of the early eras of American history at a time when students should be developing a sense of time, place and analytical thought.

Rebecca Garland, chief academic officer for the NC Department of Public Instruction, insists that these guidelines would be put in place so that students could become more aware of the history that impacts their lives today (as though the development of American democracy and the growth of individualism had nothing to do with the present). The new standards, she argues, would enable students to "stop and smell the history".

A theme in American education for the past several years is that memorization of events, dates, facts and figures is not nearly as important as developing "critical thinking". I believe that most people who are able to think critically would agree that critical thinking cannot exist without a background of cold, hard knowledge--of which dates, facts and timelines would form a "critical" part. The proposed North Carolina changes would throw out a vast portion of knowledge that should be vital to any real sort of critical thinking.

Thankfully, many North Carolina citizens are outraged, including many educators. The people of North Carolina seem shocked at the proposed turn of events. The standards have not yet been enacted, and there will be a opportunities for public comment. There is hope yet that knowledge can be preserved. Hopefully reason and intellect will prevail in North Carolina and throughout the United States.

I thought everyone knew the saying: "Those who do not learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its mistakes." Evidently there are some "educated" bureaucrats, most with initials after their names, who seem blissfully ignorant of the lessons offered by our history. Their attitude is arrogant, and is an insult to all citizens.

North Carolina has no corner on educational backwardness; we should all take time to cast a critical eye on the education bureaucrats who wield control over the intellectual upbringing of young people in all states. Yes, it takes time, but it is no exaggeration to state that the future of our civilization is at stake. An uneducated citizenry can only spiral downwards.

Thanks,
Gary