Should colleges teach with a political agenda?

[Ibanez]

Challenge your professor, openly, during lecture. You will figure out your answer.

That's a good answer. I confronted a teacher pushing an uber Conservative agenda during a World War II class and it proved to be successful. He shouldn't be presenting his political views in an education atomsphere.

[Col Hogan]

I think your example is why you talk politics with your kids. But you have to be careful not to influence there thoughts, but teach them to come to there own conclusions. WHICH IS TOUGH. But, at least they don't start believing whatever the teacher says.

Albeit, I think 2nd graders are too young to be talking politics.

Yes, and parents/teachers shouldn't be brainwashing their kids on religion either.

One of the best lines from the Obama speech last night was about how education begins at home, it's a parents responsibility to teach their kids...

I agree 100%...

So, what's a parent to teach if not religion and politics...those are the things that make us all different...

Math, science, language...all standard and the stuff schools should be teaching (with strong parental involvement)...

I don't want public schools teaching kids religion...and I don't want any school, public or private, teaching kids politics...that's up to the parents...

[AZGrizFan]

I am a fairly conservative person, and I like school. However, I am finding that many of my professors are trying to push a liberal agenda at me and call it an education. I have a problem with this, sadly most of the oblivious people at UNI have no idea this is happening. This isn't all profs, by any means, and they aren't all liberal either. I have a problem with a teacher pushing any kind of agenda on me, be it liberal, green, conservative, Christian, Islam, etc...


Should colleges allow professors to push these agenda's or should a class be tought in a nuetral setting allowing the students to make their own decisions on the subject?

Colleges are a breeding ground for radicals. Plain and simple. Of all kinds.

[Biff]

Yes, and parents/teachers shouldn't be brainwashing their kids on religion either.

One of the best lines from the Obama speech last night was about how education begins at home, it's a parents responsibility to teach their kids...

I agree 100%...

So, what's a parent to teach if not religion and politics...those are the things that make us all different...

Math, science, language...all standard and the stuff schools should be teaching (with strong parental involvement)...

I don't want public schools teaching kids religion...and I don't want any school, public or private, teaching kids politics...that's up to the parents...

I think there is a difference between teaching and brainwashing. Teaching means looking at the views of both politics and religion as objectively as possible. Brainwashing would be driving your kids to believe your beliefs without discussing the reason why.

[Col Hogan]

One of the best lines from the Obama speech last night was about how education begins at home, it's a parents responsibility to teach their kids...

I agree 100%...

So, what's a parent to teach if not religion and politics...those are the things that make us all different...

Math, science, language...all standard and the stuff schools should be teaching (with strong parental involvement)...

I don't want public schools teaching kids religion...and I don't want any school, public or private, teaching kids politics...that's up to the parents...

I think there is a difference between teaching and brainwashing. Teaching means looking at the views of both politics and religion as objectively as possible. Brainwashing would be driving your kids to believe your beliefs without discussing the reason why.

If I believe x because of my religion...are you saying I should teach anything but x to my children???

Or that I should teach them that x might be wrong because religion #2 teaches y?

1+1 = 2...that's a proven fact, and schools can/should teach stuff like that...

Religion...some people have it, some don't...I do not expect an atheist to teach their kids that their philosophy might be wrong and a christian/jew/hindu etc might be right...why should I teach my kid anything other than what I believe...

When they grow up...they are free to make their own choice...about religion...politics...etc...

[Biff]

If I believe x because of my religion...are you saying I should teach anything but x to my children???

Or that I should teach them that x might be wrong because religion #2 teaches y?

1+1 = 2...that's a proven fact, and schools can/should teach stuff like that...

Religion...some people have it, some don't...I do not expect an atheist to teach their kids that their philosophy might be wrong and a christian/jew/hindu etc might be right...why should I teach my kid anything other than what I believe...

When they grow up...they are free to make their own choice...about religion...politics...etc...

What I'm getting at is tolerance. I know a number of kids who learn their parents beliefs (which is fine with me), then translate that to shunning or imposing their parents beliefs on others. If you teach true religion, your kids likely will not do this, unless you are a jihadist or something.

Of course, you then run into the problem of parents not wanting there kids to hang out with certain groups. But they have to learn how to interact with all parts of society.

[Col Hogan]

If I believe x because of my religion...are you saying I should teach anything but x to my children???

Or that I should teach them that x might be wrong because religion #2 teaches y?

1+1 = 2...that's a proven fact, and schools can/should teach stuff like that...

Religion...some people have it, some don't...I do not expect an atheist to teach their kids that their philosophy might be wrong and a christian/jew/hindu etc might be right...why should I teach my kid anything other than what I believe...

When they grow up...they are free to make their own choice...about religion...politics...etc...

What I'm getting at is tolerance. I know a number of kids who learn their parents beliefs (which is fine with me), then translate that to shunning or imposing their parents beliefs on others. If you teach true religion, your kids likely will not do this, unless you are a jihadist or something.

Of course, you then run into the problem of parents not wanting there kids to hang out with certain groups. But they have to learn how to interact with all parts of society.

I understand what you're getting at, and agree completely...

But religion and politics aren't the only areas that parents "mis-teach" kids...

What about the parents who have their kid hang around with nothing but basketball/soccer/football people because they want their kid (or think their kid) has a professional future?

What about the theatre parents who live through their kid...I could go on, and on...but I think you understand...

Bottom line (and to bring this discussion back to the thread title)...parents will always teach their kids stuff they believe...there's a danger if they teach them a rigid application of what ever it is (religion/politics etc) that the kid might revolt against the parent as they grow up...so teaching them what you want, but also teaching them that an open mind is necessary in life, will go much further than being regid...same is true for professors/students...