In the fight against critical race theory those who still possess common-sense common sense often invoke the apolitical classroom. “Wouldn’t it be nice,” they say “if we could go back to a time before political correctness?” Perhaps it is this “apolitical” classroom that has led us to this mass delusion in the first place.
In a public school system bereft of any other goal than “tolerance” or some other lovely phrase, special interest groups and unions will rush to fill the void. After all, a society must have standards and if those standards are not implemented by curriculum, then they will be implemented by somebody else.
Though well meaning, people who repeat the common refrain for public schools don’t entirely understand the nature of education. A curriculum is by nature political, it leaves out some facts in favor of others and presents some material at the expense of others. It is a political decision to teach that capitalism lifted people out of poverty and communism killed 100 million people.
When individuals call for an apolitical classroom they are merely expressing a desire to return to a time when we could agree politically on what to teach. What this led to was a shoddy educational system which left students devoid of any real philosophy. They were then turned over to a university system which disregarded American values and sought to undermine the Culture and governing institutions of this country.
It is an insult to the idea of education that Aristotle, Plato, Burke, Locke, and Smith, are not taught within the school system. You certainly can’t count on universities to offer a balanced teaching of these monumental figures. Many are doing away with Western Civilization courses.
The left realizes that many have blinded themselves to the nature of education. Therefore, they have politicized everything from Homer to Shakespeare in an attempt to uproot intelligent curriculum while appealing to the sensibilities of the “apoliticals.” Even something as basic as biology must be destroyed by gender theorists in the name of diversity and inclusion.
In the words of G.K. Chesterton “Tolerance is the virtue of those who believe nothing.” We should not tolerate those who attempt to force evil and absurd views upon students.
Charter schools have always been a first choice for conservatives and libertarians. Unlike our opponents we desire freedom and choice. However, if leftists and former liberals continue to refuse parents the right to choose education for their children, conservatives must start developing their own curriculum that focuses on personal virtue, a respect for our heroic ancestors, and the classic literature and philosophy that has built our society. One must choose a side. The Apolitical classroom was always an illusion and now it is dead.
