Freedom to Choose | Great Peace Living

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Common Core, The European Model of Education

<p>Image courtesy of criminalatt] / <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>

Several years ago, before I became a mother, I worked in a local jewelry store. At one point, we hired a man who was from Belgium. He was an interesting man and I enjoyed conversing with him about his European home. During the course of one conversation we discussed education. He told me about his children, who were still living in Belgium following a divorce. He was telling my how it was time for he and his ex-wife to choose his son’s education path. Not sure what he meant, I questioned him for more details. He explained that as a child was entering their 6th year of schooling, the school teachers and administrators would sit down with the parents and based upon past performance choose an education path for their child.

I couldn’t believe my ears. By what would essentially be the 6th grade educators were determining the course of the child’s life. He went on to explain while I sat appalled! You see this was a state sanctioned school to work type of education. The government, i.e. school employees were determining if a 5th or 6th grade student would end up being a doctor or a mechanic, a political official or a housekeeper. The child really had no say in the matter, the parents were given a chance to add some input, but really it was the school who made the decision. He went on to explain that there are several factors which go into helping the school make such a choice. Past school performance, socio-economic background, parents career background as well as a behavioral assessment were taken into consideration.
I questioned all of this. I said, “What If the child has a desire to be something else?”

His response, “Children at that age do not know what is best for themselves.’

So I asked, “What if they get to highschool and realize they want to do something different?”

He said, “Well it’s too late, there really is no other choice.”

So I wanted to know, “What if they reach adulthood and want to enter a different career?”

Again he replied, “Well it really is too late, you see, because they won’t have the educational background to get a different job.”

When I explained to him that I thought this was awful, that I felt the educational system in America was better because it allows children and parents to determine the path they want to take and that nothing is impossible for them, he tried to assure me that their system worked quite well and that in fact it was one of the top performing systems in the world.

So I asked, “Then, why have you come to America?” He simply did not know how to answer that question.

I simply could not wrap my mind around this type of education system. I was thankful that I had grown up in America where as much as possible all students are presented with the same educational opportunities so that they will have options when they grow up and have the freedom to choose their own career path.

Of course after becoming a parent and choosing home education I came to understand that within the schools religious freedom has been thwarted. Yet, I still believed that students from all walks of life were being presented with similar educational opportunities.

Then, this past Sunday I determined to educate myself on this new Common Core educational standard that is being talked about by both the public school educator’s as well as home educators. I found these 5 videos and watched them. One again, I sat stunned as this very articulate lady, Jane Robbins, from American Principals Project explained the new system and what it would mean for our society. I am including all 5 of these videos here so that you can view each of them. Ms. Robbins very clearly and succinctly explains why we as American parents should be outraged. She explains why we as homeschool mom’s and dad’s should be concerned. She explains very well why this type of education will affect not only the public school student but those in charter schools, online schools, private schools as well as homeschools.

As I watched I was reminded of the conversation that I had with the man from Belgium and I was sure that we as a nation are headed to the very same educational philosophies as his European nation. The one where parents and especially children have little or no say in what their career outcome would be. This is a state controlled school to work program, socialist agenda determined to take away the freedoms and rights of the American people. Children will no longer be told, “You can be whatever you want to be.” They will not be given opportunities to dream of a better life, or work their way out of poverty. No students will be told what classes to take, what career path to walk and eventually what job to hold. I ask you, Is this what we want for the land of the free and the home of the brave? I think not.