Teachers accused of anti-US bias (2 Viewers)

[MoonlightSonata]

I don't think a lot of teachers in high schools are left wing - if they are it wasn't very overt in my school. Certainly at universities the majority are. But I would not call them "uninformed".

But really, the idea that leniencies to so called "left-wing" teachings could lead to terrorism is pretty silly. What is claimed as being 'left-wing' may indicate disapproval of policies or ways of thinking -- but not antagonism to one's country; only antagonism towards certain perspectives (ie. current governments). In a peaceful liberal democracy such as ours, when people are unhappy with the government they don't elect them again - they do not strap a bomb to their chest and run into Parliament. Simply disagreeing with one government's policies does not in turn equate to hate for one's country.

It's almost an attempt to use "terrorism" as a new communism smear.

I also think that, in order for his argument to work, Costello starts out with the (silent) premise that Americanism is good and that we should support their perspectives and social norms. This is the opposite bias. Surely what we want is informed students who are aware of (1) facts from which they can draw conclusions, and (2) arguments based on those facts, from different perspectives. Simply because a teacher presents both sides of the story and demonstrates approval of one argument being more credible than another does not show bias. It indicates a final stage in the search for the truth. If students are given both sides of an argument this final stage of agreeing or disagreeing is still up to them.

 

[LadyBec]

I also think that, in order for his argument to work, Costello starts out with the (silent) premise that Americanism is good and that we should support their perspectives and social norms. This is the opposite bias. Surely what we want is informed students who are aware of (1) facts from which they can draw conclusions, and (2) arguments based on those facts, from different perspectives. Simply because a teacher presents both sides of the story and demonstrates approval of one argument being more credible than another does not show bias. It indicates a final stage in the search for the truth. If students are given both sides of an argument this final stage of agreeing or disagreeing is still up to them.

exactly.
I also think that linking anti-americanism and anti-westernism was a mistake, it's not quite the same thing. We can be western, and still anti-american, or even anti-western without being a terrorist.
Frankly i'm sick to death about the constant paranoia of terrorism, and the way that people try and manipulate people using their fear of it.

"Evidence of successful education in NSW could be a student's ability to recognise a grab for leadership and media time when they see one," she said.

that made me laugh SO much.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

fuck america all i gotta say

 

[withoutaface]

WTF the US never did shit in protecting Australia. The Japanese advance was bogged down and stopped in PNG. They never made to Australia because Australian troops and PNG pro-Australia locals fought them off. NOT AMERICANS.

LOL you think the japs landed on the Australian mainland and American soldiers fought them off?

You know why they had to take Port Moresby through the jungles of PNG? Because the amphibious assault would have failed.

Why would it have failed? Because the navy of the United States of America defeated them at the Coral Sea and Midway.

kthx.

 

[townie]

okay, 1, i think it's far more likely to be anti-administration rather than anti-US sentiment
2, teahcers probably bash poms and kiwi's all the time
3, if teachers can "brainwash" children i'm fucking scared about the state of parenting in this country

 

[Riewe]

I guess that it is better for the US to be the world's leading power than anyone else. I would hate to live in a world where the Soviets were taking over half the world (which i see they had the capability to do). As an Australian, i would see that the US is more good than bad. Eg, WWII and to an extent, Korea.

I guess that in the end we are indebted to America for saving our country from the Japanese, because without their intervention, it could've been inevitable Japan would've won the day and all asia and the pacific now under Japanese imperial control. It doesn't really matter to me if America really, really wanted to help Australia, as the end result was good enough for us.

 

[transcendent]

What will female teachers do?

fe - male ?

 

[supercharged]

I guess that in the end we are indebted to America for saving our country from the Japanese, because without their intervention, it could've been inevitable Japan would've won the day and all asia and the pacific now under Japanese imperial control. It doesn't really matter to me if America really, really wanted to help Australia, as the end result was good enough for us.

What the hell is all this about America 'saving' Australia in WW2? No-one is 'indebted'.

Had the Japanese not of bombed Pearl Harbour, American involvement in the Pacific War would have been zilch. America does what's best for America, its not in the business of 'saving' other countries.

 

[Riewe]

What the hell is all this about America 'saving' Australia in WW2? No-one is 'indebted'.

Had the Japanese not of bombed Pearl Harbour, American involvement in the Pacific War would have been zilch. America does what's best for America, its not in the business of 'saving' other countries.

But nevertheless, they did save us did they not? And we wouldn't have the country we have today without their involvement, would we?

 

[Scanorama]

But nevertheless, they did save us did they not? And we wouldn't have the country we have today without their involvement, would we?

Like supercharged said, if the Japanese didn't bomb Pearl Harbour, America wouln't have bomb Japan, the did it to attack Japanese back.

Anti-America doesnt mean anti-Western culture, European countries are considered as western countries.

Many teachers may be the so called Anti-America, but they are only against the current American government, not the country itself.

The Libs want to lick George Bush's ass doesn't mean other people have to follow the same.

 

[slipper]

i dont have much to say on this topic, teachers should just be all like

America!!! Fuck yeah!

http://www.loveit-or-leaveit.com/flash/americafuckyeah.html

yep.
Because nobody thinks a thing a teacher doesn't say.

 

[transcendent]

you obviously don't listen to what the teachers say cause you make no sense in English whatsoever.

 

[loquasagacious]

Studying a revisionist syllabus does not constitute anti-american terrorism. These things move in cycles already extension history is already a post-revisionist course I would expect this to filter down to the other history courses in due course.

Short of transforming teachers into androids they will always flavour their subject according to their own pre-dispositions, biases (note: bias is not automatically a negative word), personalities and experiences.

A national conspiracy of greens party communist terrorist teachers set on indoctrinating 'the youth of today' does not exist.

A high school student (particularly a yr9+ student) is not a lump of malleable plasticine incapable of discerning between influences upon it and opinions presented to it. In plain english a student (as many in this thread have demonstrated) does not sit in class and absorb as fact evrything their teacher tells them.

Even were we to assume that they did they spend less than six hours a day in the same room as a revolutionary teacher as compared to several hours socialising, several more exposed to media of some sort, then theres some time with their families (whose members have like our student in question been subjected to a myriad of media, cultural, social and terrorist teacher opinions throughout the day). On what grounds do we assume that five or so hours with terrorist teachers will have a formitive impact?

 

[withoutaface]

My year 10 history teacher wouldn't stop writing on the board about some mysterious Labour party.

 

[Serius]

What the hell is all this about team America 'saving' Australia in WW2? No-one is 'indebted'.

Had the Japanese not of bombed Pearl Harbour, American involvement in the Pacific War would have been zilch. America does what's best for America, its not in the business of 'saving' other countries.

America, Fuck Yeah!
coming again to save the motherfucking day yeah!
America Fuck Yeah!
Freedom is the only way!!!

see! team america is soo into saving shit, like they saced Iraq didnt they? oh and the Frenchies, Americans saved their ass in WW2

America is so cool, i wish i was an American!

 

[my sharona]

This is stupid. We barely have enough teachers at all, let alone ones without bias.

... if such people do exist.

 

[withoutaface]

Hi Ray!

 

[Riewe]

I read that the American Government is trying to sue JK Rowling because Harry Potter isn't American and Americans are the only ones allowed to save the world. Their spokesperson, Loof Lirpa, said that "Harry, a British teenager, saving the world was grossly inaccurate because he simply isn't American and this is translating into anti-American bias in the minds of children around the world" ...

I did read some other forums where people were asking if Rowling is anti-american because there isn't really anything american in the books. And they wonder why everyone else think that they are all self-centered , anti-non-american

 

[poloktim]

I call bullshit on the treasurer's comments. Wrongfully deporting people isn't enough for the current government, it seems. Now it wants to stop teachers from teaching kids how to think critically.
What fun.

Liberal is fucked.
Labor is fucked.
I think it's about time we had a new party enter the arena. One that's not filled with fuckhead mongs might be nice.

 

[ogmzergrush]

I can see cause for complaint in some cases, but not across the board. I distinguish between teaching kids how to think critically, and teaching kids how to think, critically. I've had some teachers over the years that spoonfed us nothing but opinion, and I can see cause for concern when children are learning opinion as fact. That said though, I'd imagine/hope that's a bit of a rarity, and that the problem is overstated.