The rejection of the black armband view of our history by students is no surprise to the silent majority of Australians. The Executive Officer of the History Teachers Association of NSW , Louise Zarmati, advised a Senate Committee into the academic standards of school education in Sydney last week that students are not prepared to wear the guilt associated with the teaching of ‘progressive’ indigenous history.
Ms Zarmati told the committee that students in Western Sydney were resistant to learning indigenous history and most found it to be an unpleasant learning experience.
Somebody should tell Pat Byrne, President of the Australian Teachers’ Union. Last year she crowed that progressive educators ‘had succeeded in influencing curriculum development in schools, education departments and universities’. It is little wonder the teaching unions could crow about these achievements given they are safe-havens for parasitic lefties in our society.
After the last election, Wayne Sawyer, a former chairman of the NSW Board of Studies English curriculm committee admonished teachers for failing to produce a more ‘questioning, critical generation’ of students because they were now voting for Howard.
Byrne, Sawyer and their acolytes in the teachers’ unions are driven more by their outdated leftist ideology than they are about a balanced approach to learning. Is it any wonder that increasing numbers of parents are moving their children out of the public education system.
The teaching of indigenous history would be more acceptable if the radical embellishments of the white lefties were exorcised from the curriculum. Students would find it more interesting if they were to learn about the positive aspects of British colonialism on our young country. The civilizing influence of the rule of law in a remote land with an ancient culture; the achievements of our pioneers and explorers; the sacrifice of our servicemen and women in war; and the development of our industry and society is something we should all know about and something we should be extremely proud of.
We are now one of the great democracies of the world. We should respect our history, cherish our freedom and be greatful for the abundant opportunities we have in Australia today.
Pat Byrne’s teaching unions may well have influence over the curriculum and the type of textbooks students are forced to study as she has boasted. Unfortunately for them today’s students have choices past generations never had. The internet has allowed them to explore alternative views and the result has been a rejection of the ideological clap-trap pedaled by Ms Byrne and her unions.
The Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ‘Man’s mind, when expanded by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension’. Students can now stretch their minds independent of the stifling ideology of the black-armbanders. Freedom and knowledge are powerful forces now being harnessed by young Australians in spite of the ideological luddites in our teaching unions – not because of them!
Tags: My Opinion, Politics
