What do our schools teach? What "personality traits" do they indoctrinate?

I don't mean general topics English, Science, Math.



I mean the more subtle messages, like "turn in your guns", "follow authority", "be mainstream", "reject the truther nuts", "homeland security is our savior".



If there are subtle messages, how are they enforced?



Also, do they still teach 8th graders the Constitution? Or has that conveniently "slipped" out of the curriculum in the "post-9/11 world"?




What kind of propaganda is found in school textbooks/curriculum?



Is "herd mentality" being propagates on school children? If yes, then with what tactics?

its kinda like being taught how to be a your own person but keeping intact with what mainstream society claims is 'the right path.' In other words, be y our self just dont ask any threating questions and obey and believe everything your told and you should do fine

Yup. We "learned" the preamble in 7th. That was the last we went over Ole Self-Evident. As for the whole "herd" mentality, yes to it, to. But, wanna know somethin? The schools barely even have to try to enforce it. The "students" do. It's more or less like taking a prison, taking away the guards, and finding out that because you did that, it has unprecedented security. Only instead of security against prison riots, you get security against anyone and everyone as fringe as 3 blocks from the middle.

only when you finish will you realize what you learned
it is more than mere subject matter
it is decision making, prioritizing...
responsibility, social interactions, the 'game' of life,
everything in school gets magnified 1000 times after and if you have a bad time there it only gets worse for most
it isn't necessarily to prepare one for college after all less than 25% of the US population has a college degree...it is to prepare you to handle yourself through many situations and possible work you may encounter
history will teach you why things are currently the way they are now and you can learn hopefully from the mistakes of others...
math well math is logic and used in everything (especially algebra and geometry unknown variables and what have you)
English- well it is the common language and method of communication the world over (especially in the USA/Canada/UK/Australia- duh) so learning the great works of literature and methods of communication helps you speak interact with your fellow people of the world regardless of their primary language...
school is worth it no matter how you slice it-

[edit on 17-5-2008 by fiorano]

The US Board Of Education was signed in by President Jimmy Carter back in October 17, 1979. That's your first clue that it won't work.
Educational scores were rising steadily until the Board Of Education took over and have been declining since is your second clue.
Government trying to run any programs that are best left to the public to run is the third.

It's up to the parents to put their children in the right schools and to teach them on the side to what is really happening and how to accomplish success with confidence and character.

reply to post by thetruth777


Why don't you tell us from your own experience what you have encounter during your school days?

Speaking as a freshman in high school, i can say the public high school is less of a place to learn and more of a place to be shaped into a conforming human being who cannot think for his or herself.
in most schools, there are hundreds of seemingly pointless rules, which after living with them, before you do anything, you have to think to yourself, 'does this break any of their rules?'

and if you dont listen to some of these "teachers" you may be suspended.

The school system is outdated and just a plain rotten place to be.
most of my friends agree with me that 80% of everything you learn after middle school is just stupid. i think you should be able to learn about what you want to do with your life in high school.
if it does not change soon, the education system will just crumble.

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Speaking as a freshman in high school, i can say the public high school is less of a place to learn and more of a place to be shaped into a conforming human being who cannot think for his or herself.
in most schools, there are hundreds of seemingly pointless rules, which after living with them, before you do anything, you have to think to yourself, 'does this break any of their rules?'

and if you dont listen to some of these "teachers" you may be suspended.

The school system is outdated and just a plain rotten place to be.
most of my friends agree with me that 80% of everything you learn after middle school is just stupid. i think you should be able to learn about what you want to do with your life in high school.
if it does not change soon, the education system will just crumble.

well i think it depends where you go to school because a couple of my teachers actually tell you all the crap school does to the individuality of a person. They actually encourage acting like yourself which is awesome but then there are always the teachers who try to shape you into a mindless slave to society.

i agree ALOT of the stuff you learn in high school is pointless. but i think HS is more about learning who you are rather than subjects. And what values to accept and reject.

I mean the more subtle messages, like "turn in your guns", "follow authority", "be mainstream", "reject the truther nuts", "homeland security is our savior".



If there are subtle messages, how are they enforced?
i dont think you give kids enough credit on individuality. most kids find a way to stay themselves. they have lives besides school to help them find what values actually matter. Most of those messages besides follow authority arent enforced at all. well atleast not im my school.

I photochopped this image:
johnrlott.tripod.com...

Chucked it into a poster at school, not that I agree with it, but what the hell, got some marks for it. It's funny, 'cause now it's plastered on a wall (like everyones work). If there were an ATS'er who saw it they would most likely think the school is some indoctrination camp.

What I'd like to point out, is just because it may seem indoctrinating, it doesn't mean it actually is. Teachers here vary, and I don't seem to notice any specific trend, if they try to act ' cool ' then everyone would think they're ' gay ', so it's unlikely that by acting some way will have any major change, unless it's taught in early schooling.

I'll try and snap some shots of this 'career choice' thing where you have to do a survey then it comes up with a list of jobs you'd like. Ehrm, didn't seem indocrinating the least, however one part was rediculously stupid, we had to rate whether we liked a job or not.... Except you HAD to have atleast one LIKE on each page, and you could only have two dislikes each page. REDICULOUS.

Now, I want to be a pilot when I'm older, some teacher said that I should fill in 'like' for a job that detailes sorting paper for a company. Rediculous.

Questions?

[edit on 20/5/2008 by C0bzz]

Here is what they teach:

Rules, in and of themselves, are more important than WHY those rules are implemented.

Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are bad: except when the drugs are legal. (i.e., that there are no beneficial effects in alcohol and tobacco)

In an emergency, shut down your survival instincts and wait for someone "in authority" to do something.

Guns are evil.

That masculine traits are evil.

Not to be suspicious of authority.

Police always have your best interests in mind.

I could go on, by why bother.

Here's what they DON'T teach kids:

How to tell propoganda from true information.

How to THINK.

How to be and act independently from authority.

Reliance on oneself.

Logic and reasoning.

[edit on 20-5-2008 by sir_chancealot]

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Speaking as a freshman in high school, i can say the public high school is less of a place to learn and more of a place to be shaped into a conforming human being who cannot think for his or herself.
in most schools, there are hundreds of seemingly pointless rules, which after living with them, before you do anything, you have to think to yourself, 'does this break any of their rules?'

and if you dont listen to some of these "teachers" you may be suspended.

The school system is outdated and just a plain rotten place to be.
most of my friends agree with me that 80% of everything you learn after middle school is just stupid. i think you should be able to learn about what you want to do with your life in high school.
if it does not change soon, the education system will just crumble.

Yes, but how exactly do schools "shape students into a conforming human being who cannot think for his or herself"?

I think what he means is, whatever the teacher tells you, you have to agree or you will fail. For a 'dumb' example, lets say the teacher says to you 1 plus 1 equals 3. You say 'well wait a minute, 1 plus 1 is 2.' and on a test the question is 1 plus 1=_... what do you put? what you know is the truth,although you will get a bad grade. or do you put what the teacher said, which is wrong.... Does that make sense to anyone, do you know what I mean?