posted on Dec, 6 2014 @ 09:41 PM
Wow, this thread really hits home and let me tell you why.
I went to a private Christian School that taught using these exact same PACE's (we called them PACES). I remember these characters, and the
curriculum that they taught. I think I have a good perspective here.
My three sisters and I did all of elementary school in the public education system. In the 6th grade, we were all sent to this Christian private
School. From 6th to 10th grade, I was educated in this manner.
From the very beginning it was very strange to me to go to this school. I went from having a lot of interaction with my peers, to none. The desks were
set against the wall, they were normal sized desks, but they were separated from the next desk by a wooden wall between each desk. We were not allowed
to talk, except to teachers, only with permission, and each other at recess. We had two flags in a stand on a shelf that we could reach, above our
desks. If we wanted the minders attention, we needed to select the proper flag, and turn it so that they could see and come to us. They were marginal
teachers, and since we did most of our own teaching, I call them minders, they basically enforced the rules, and helped us out with what they could if
we needed it. One of the flags was the American flag, you moved that flag if you needed permission to go to the bathroom, or to correct you work. The
Christian flag (a white field, with a square of blue in the top corner, and a red cross in the blue) was used if you needed to test I believe. We
called moving the flags “Raising the Flag”.
We were required to conform to the dress code, no shorts for the boys, skirts below the knees or pants for the girls. The blue shirt with the schools
initials on the breast.
The school as a whole had to memorize a book of the bible over the course of the year, to be recited in front of friends and families during
graduation for the year. Memorizing the proper amount of verses of the chosen book was one of the requirements for Honor Roll.
You set your own goals everyday, but there was a minimum requirement of daily work.. You were encouraged to do above the minimum standard that had to
be done, and if you failed in this you got homework, and eventually detention.
There were many subjects, each subject had its own PACE booklet. Science, Math, Word Building (spelling) Etymology, Social Studies, Old Testament, New
Testament, Etc. Each PACE booklet was somewhere around 30-50 pages if my memory serves. Doing the PACES required you to read a section of text, and
then answer some questions. Afterwards you would raise your flag and score your own work, with the keys that were provided. You marked the wrong
answers, and corrected them, then had to have the correction checked off by the minder. There was a self-test at the end of the PACE, which was open
book. You had to pass the self-test before you could do the PACE test. When you passed the PACE test you would advance to the next PACE book in
sequential order, in that subject. Passing a certain number of PACES in each week was required in concert with the bible verses in order to get Honor
Roll. If you got Honor Roll all the weeks of the month, you got a day extra off from school.
My first year at the school I got Honor roll all year long, I did great. My parents were happy, school was happy, I was happy to be doing well.
I'm not sure what happened in seventh grade, but about halfway through the year, I started to notice the cartoons in the PACES, and just how strange
they were. Something didn't sit right with me. I started to notice the absurd creationism (I'm pretty sure in one of the Geology PACES I remember
reading the world is 6,000 years old or something) and other things. I started to do less and less school work. Getting detentions at school, and in
trouble at home. I basically stalled in my education, in a few subjects I did really well, but for the most part I would sit in my cubicle and read
the Encyclopedia. I struggled through the next few years doing worse and worse, just the bare minimum to “graduate” to the next grade.
In tenth grade one of my sisters and I moved to the public high school. We had some issues with the school, and my parents didn't know what to do
because we weren't doing well. So they let us go to the high school.
I did really well my Junior year, the high school was amazingly easy compared to the work I had been doing at the private school. The things the High
School were teaching 11th graders, I had done in 7th grade. I sailed through it.
In my senior year, I discovered the “credits” that I had earned at the private school, did not transfer to the public school. I didn't want to be
a super super senior so I dropped out. I got my G.E.D. Three weeks later, and scored very high.
Today I have a wife, and two children. I am not a racist or a man that beats his wife as one comment suggested. In retrospect it was a very strange
time of my life. It took me years to break a lot of the conditioning. I struggled spiritually for years, to this day, I still question, but hopefully
that's a good thing. I used to be terrified of going to hell, I was terrified of “god”. I had low self esteem, and no confidence whatsoever.
Overall aside from all the dispersed absurdity in the PACES there was some truth, and a pretty decent education. It wasn't all bad, but it was
strange to say the least. I learned to respect people, to love my fellow man, to be a good person, help those worse off than myself if I can. They
were excellent teachers of morals, and I am still friends with some of these people I went to school with to this day.
I'm no longer go to church, except with my parents and family on occasion. I am spiritual. I'm moderate politically, I live the philosophy of
“Mind your business”. My family and I are very close.
Maybe I “got out” at the right time. I think the encyclopedia reading is really what broke my conditioning, when I realized there was a whole
other world out there. My eyes had been opened, so to say.
I could go into more detail, but If you're still reading this I'll be shocked.
I'd be willing to answer any questions, about my time there or whatever if anyone is interested.