What is Education? The word means "leading out", the stimulation of
curiosity, in which parents and teachers are catalysts.
Indoctrination is the implanting of doctrine, like it or not, in which
curiosity is suppressed; where texts regarded as sacred are taught as
undoubtedly true, and rival views are excluded.
It may be that, even in education, there are matters which time doesn't
allow for questioning by the very young. But these should be few.
Bertrand Russell, when introduced at a young age to mathematics, was told
by his tutor: "Firstly, there are axioms, which you accept without
question." His response: "Why should I?"
Curiosity (inquisitiveness) is mixed up with Greed (acquisitiveness) in
our scholastic careers, as the need for a Meal Ticket reduces schools,
universities, etc, to Brain Factories, and latterly an obsession with
funding makes for "irrelevant" topics (not profitable), being marginalised
or dumped. But even History and Philosophy are reluctantly conceded as
having some social value in a Business-knows-best environment.
But we need a Curriculum, as curiosity isn't allowed to run riot - unless
after-hours on the Internet.
Should such syllabus contain interpretation of facts, or just facts alone?
Of what use is seeing things from a Marxist, Feminist, Racist, or Green
viewpoint; and is such nonsense being imposed?
What should be "core" subjects, and how taught?
Should we have a national consensus on this, and is it attainable, or even
desirable?
Certainly, democratic decision-making seems the way to go; not one group
of ideologues imposing their agenda on the whole community.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states in Article 26 (3) -
"Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be
given to their children."
This was prompted by experience under the Nazis whereby the State
indoctrinated children, resulting in them informing on their parents and
others for perceived deviance from the Official Line.
Perhaps an additional proviso might be added:
(4) "Children have a right to education, free of indoctrination." You never
know, it could transform the world!

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