Who will stop the madness taking over America? It has to be tackled on many fronts but I look to our children and challenge schools to cover topics that will turn them into competent adults. Youth today view the world differently than their elders. They are more accepting of differences and better educated in environmental issues. However, the quality of their schooling is not evenly distributed throughout the country. Our job as adults is to change that trajectory and insure that everyone receives a comprehensive education. Certain subjects have tools hidden within that can help heal the nation and should to be included in curriculums.
a) Let's start with bullying, a problem that makes young people afraid to attend classes. According to Do Something, a global organization of 6 million youth making positive change, 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year. In the U.S., 1 in 4 students say they've been bullied at school. Parents are coming together to change this harmful situation making schools pay attention to harassment. My grandson's school has an anti-bullying program that begins in kindergarten and continues through twelfth grade. These types of programs are spreading throughout the country. My hope is that graduates will put a stop to the derogatory rhetoric that has invaded the highest levels of government.
I was taught that "sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never harm me." Unfortunately, that's not true. Labeling people Horseface, Black Jackie, Pocahontas, Bimbo, and dumpy pundit, is not hurtful, ugly and childish. With early indoctrination in kindness and tolerance, the next generation may lead the country in more civilized ways.
b) Another subject for inclusion is history, for it is not only a presentation of facts from the past, but it is a search for interpretation making it useful for today. To be insightful, history has to be presented in honest, complete and unbiased ways. Textbooks slanted towards the white race at the expense of other groups will not heal the divide. Topics need to be included that are often glossed over, such as the Indian Wars of the late 1800s, the growth and suppression of labor unions and racially motivated immigration laws. By hearing all sides of issues minds become open to understanding divergent concerns. Studying the past enables youth to see why people act the way they do. It helps identify where nations have gone wrong so we can avoid their pitfalls.
c) It is important to learn how to search for truth, but even more important is being inspired to want to do so. Encouraging curiosity is a difficult task for educators. From an early age questioning should be encouraged. There are negative consequences to society for complacency and ignorance. If a parent or teacher does not have an answer then the child should be challenged to discover what it is. What they learn and experiences has to be discussed for full impact. There is no substitute for talking to children and encouraging them to analyze what they are reading. Deep explorations will prepare them to be thinkers and intelligent voters.
d) With the exception of a few states, most students are introduced to environmental issues around global warming. The teens I speak to are knowledgeable and concerned, often more aware of the human influence on climate change than older adults. It is important to understand the scientific reasons for warming, but it is also useful to bring economic factors into discussions, for they are the crux of the reason congress is unwilling to act. To combat rising temperatures, w have to change the way the live, eat and transport ourselves. Climate change a subject that can not be glossed over if we want our children to flourish.
e) Identifying winners and losers, and debating pros and cons of various economic, religious and political systems is challenging but also interesting to young minds. Most youth I speak to love to philosophize. If you want to have a lively discussion, choose to explore the notion of "the common good," for it is at the base of political and economic beliefs.
My neighbor said to me while we were riding exercise bicycles, " I don't believe in the common good. I believe people should sink or swim on their own merits. I started out dirt poor. I'm a self made man. It wasn't easy, but I was determined. Anyone who works hard can do the same. I probably will wind up living in a gated community."
This man of color pulled himself out of poverty. He is intelligent, college educated, earned a pile of money that allowed him engage in entrepreneurial ventures. Unfortunately, most people do not have his skills nor the support that helped him become an NBA player. Thousands fall through the cracks of poverty, poor schooling and parental ignorance.
f) Lastly, public education has the potential of being the great equalizer. But adults need to provide schools with resources and teachers who are unafraid when students express concerns and think for themselves. They need to hire educators to shown them how to find information so they know when they're being duped by fake news. Collecting and considering information is something curious people do.
