grodscorp@grods.comEducation as a pawn in Howard’s culture wars
 | Posted by The Editor on Tuesday 7 November 2006, 11:44 am Categories: Education, Politics Tags: Tags: civility, CultureWars, JulieBishop, manners |
Congratulations to education minister Julie Bishop for calling on schools to teach civility and manners. We’ve long ago given up on laying any responsibility for children’s upbringing with parents and with civility and manners completely absent from public institutions such as parliament it is our schools that are now the last line of defence against values-neutral and bad mannered kids.
It’s simple, according to Headmistress Bishop. All the kids have to do is wear a uniform, respect society’s institutions, and take part in the singing of the national anthem as a normal and solemn part of school life.
And final proof that John Howard’s newest General in his culture wars has never stepped foot inside a classroom:
Some people might think that it doesn’t matter if children are taught manners and encouraged to say please and thank you and apologise when they have wronged another, but if we are to institutionalise civility we must ensure that schools are reinforcing community standards and common values.
If it wasn’t so serious it would be funny.
GrodsThink Ep.31 (16/9/08)
