Nexus - 0223 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Letters to the Editor (continued) A ; media, our doctor, our bank manager). Telation to the education article, a letter which Continued omipabese Your article in the Aug-Sept '94 edition on | was apparently published in a local paper in the Meanwhile, NEXUS is printing information | "Exposing the Myth of the Germ Theory” and | States. Mrs Knittle-Small criticised objectives- and it's hard-to-get information. You won't find | "Modem Medicine and its Military Links” (vol. | based education because it "wasted valuable it in every daily newspaper. That's probably | 2, nos. 20, 21) demand reading and re-reading | academic time” by emphasising “feelings, self- because no one dares print it. It upsets the sys- | with a highlighter pen. Brilliant stuff! esteem, acceptance of others, and family living tem. Brings out the truth. It's too hard to bear | As I heard recently on a tape, "Know the truth | programs”. for that reason and may bring up fear. But the | and the truth shall set you free". More such | Wake up, Mrs Knittle-Small! We are not fear must be worked through because the infor- | truthful articles, Duncan. teaching robots in our schools! The mechanical mation is ultimately empowering. Alan H., Bowen Mountain, NSW, Australia. paradigm which dominated education for most We don't want to see the world as manipulated of the twentieth century produced people who by groups with hidden agendas because it brings | Re: Education Agenda could read, write and count (generally) but who up all our fears. That's why NEXUS is contro- Dear Duncan: As a teacher I was very inter- had no interpersonal skills, no capacity for versial. People accuse it of spreading ‘fear’. | ested to read the article, "Educating for the | empathy, who effectively had their humanity The fear is actually within. ‘New World Order" (NEXUS 2/22). The ques- | drained from them. Surely the objective of edu- That's the key. When you work through your | tions raised appear to be quite legitimate, cer- cation is to produce human beings who are fears you are empowered because you see them | tainly for the American system. Yet I feel that I capable of leaming across a broad spectrum of for what they are. Empty! Based on nothing! | should point out that there are some very posi- human endeavour? Inherited patterns! And you're then free. Free | tive developments in Australian education. Yes, the single most important factor in edu- to be a more complete human being. Think I have recently been attending some work- ‘cation, and for the future of this planet is love— about it. Yours sincerely, shops by the Hunter Accelerated Learning | and you will not find that in any ‘academic’ cur- Roger T., Doonan, Queensland, Australia. Initiative. This organisation is funded by the | ticulum! . Department of Education. lts central motif is a Mark G., New Lambton, NSW, Australia. Re: Knowing the Truth values-based education. One of the key phrases | (Dear Mark: Your point is valid. The main Dear Duncan: My mother once told me that I | is "Learning accelerates as judgment dissolves". | concern with OBE (Outcome-Based Education) was "big enough, old enough and ugly enough | Indeed, this is truly a spiritual and open-minded | is that although these values of esteem and tol- to make up my own mind”, process which is being advocated. One of the | erance of others are being taught, the result isa I have always been very open-minded—nei- | pieces of correspondence that I have received | decline in personal self-esteem, a rise in intoler- ther gullible nor sceptical, My congratulations | from the Initiative refers to “the spiritual path- | ance of other races and religions, and an to you and your staff for the courage to publish way” in bold type! increase in the dependence by the student on information which always stimulates intelligent | Education is changing. We have the opportu- | ‘the group’. While it sounds nice in theory, the discussion and healthy personal reassessment of | nily to create a more tolerant, open-minded and | results are heading the opposite direction. The years of propaganda from those who we were | humane education system. research presented by the parents indicates that led to believe had our best interests at heart Keeping this in mind, ] was horrified at the | this is a deliberate campaign and is not a result (e.g., the government, the local water board, the letter by Karin Knittle-Small you published in | of any educational bureacracy gone mad. i 3 NEXUS ¢ 81 DECEMBER 1994 - JANUARY 1995