How Education is Deliberately Dumbing You Down

First of all, this article is in no way meant to disparage the efforts of the many incredibly capable teachers we have. The primary purpose is to provide a perspective of some of the issues that are present at higher levels that may make it nearly impossible to provide a solid education no matter how skilled or excellent the teacher is.

You might wonder why this article is on a health site. The reason I chose to include it is related to the fact that we must have an informed public if we are going to make changes in health. If there are pernicious forces altering the education of our children, they need to be addressed if there is any hope for a positive future.

Charlotte Iserbyt presents an alarming insider’s view of the U.S. Department of Education, and how the federal government has, or would like, its fingers in everything, including the education of America’s children.

According to Ms. Iserbyt, the Department of Education’s goal is manipulation of public school curriculum to promote a political agenda.

During her tenure as Senior Policy Advisor, Iserbyt was shocked to learn that her employer promoted the purpose of education as a vehicle to change the thoughts, actions and feelings of students. Good teaching is defined as “successfully challenging students’ fixed beliefs.”

Amusing, Yes – but Also Deeply Disturbing

The Jay Leno video is intended to entertain, but after chuckling through it the first time, you might want to watch it again.

Admittedly, this is not a randomized controlled sample of the public’s intelligence, and only the funniest examples were chosen. However, there are some general themes that emerge, including:

• Lack of knowledge of geography, including which countries border the US, and which state is the largest.

• Lack of awareness of both the founding fathers and current national figures.

• Lack of vocabulary skills.

• Lack of interest in reading books of a historical or educational nature

And perhaps most stunning:

• Lack of hesitation in answering questions, even if the person had no idea of the correct response.

It seems Leno’s sampling of people on the street demonstrates not only the “dumbing down” Iserbyt speaks of, but an element of apathy as well. The correct answer (knowledge) isn’t important – any answer will do.

Freedom Disappears in a Dumbed Down Nation

I agree with Ron Paul on the importance of education to the freedoms we enjoy as U.S. citizens:

“An educated public is an essential ingredient of a free society. Ambitious governments would have far greater difficulty implementing schemes that undermine liberty and prosperity were they faced with an informed and vigilant population.”

To learn more about what’s really happening in our public school system and the agenda behind it, go here for a free download of Charlotte Iserbyt’s bestselling book, The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America.