It seems that the more educated we get, the dumber we become. At our own peril, we cloud, obfuscate and confuse what our common sense, instinct and intellect tell us, with unproven, esoteric education theories. Then we experiment on our kids’ brains with what boils down to psychiatric unproven and untested hogwash. Such is the case of Social Emotional Learning, or SEL.

We have just been advised that the Washington State Legislature is considering legislation to mandate the teaching of SEL in all Washington State Public Schools in House Bill 1162, which states in part: “The legislature finds that basic education instruction in public schools in Washington state should include not only instruction in core academic skills, but also core social emotional learning skills.”

In other words, the state legislature is going to mandate SEL be taught in schools (forced down our throats really), along with of course, the necessary funding to pay for it all. Now most of us know that the state is broke and trying to cut expenses and raise taxes, all at the same time. We have no idea where they are going to get the money (our tax money) to fund this folly.

Several other states have already implemented SEL in their school systems. We suppose that Washington State is just playing “follow the leader” ….. again!

So what is Social Emotional Learning? From the “New York Child Study Center” we learn that: “Emotional intelligence (EQ) is not a new concept; it was around as long ago as Socrates, who had these wise words of advice: Know Thyself. Hundreds of years later, we have begun to formalize Socrates’ philosophies into what has become known as social and emotional learning (SEL), the learning process by which we can aspire to a higher EQ. Studies show that EQ is the best predictor of a child’s future achievement; better than any other single factor. EQ is a better predictor of success than IQ and technical skills combined. In the 1980s, Howard Gardner, in his important work on multiple intelligences, outlined the presence of seven domains of intelligence; two of them were interpersonal and intrapersonal – these combined were the forerunner of what we now know as emotional intelligence. The term was first coined by Peter Salovey, professor and psychologist at Yale University, and John Mayer, professor and psychologist at the University of New Hampshire. In 1995 Daniel Goleman, the leading expert in this field, reported ‘IQ is only a minor predictor of success in life, while emotional and social skills are far better predictors of success and well-being than academic intelligence.’”

Now this sounds all well and good, but we overlook the distinct and high probability of the potential for using SEL to indoctrinate our kids to whatever agenda the over-educated elite are promoting at the time. In exchanging e-mails with another gentleman on the subject, he exclaimed that it reminded him of Hitler’s Youth or Brown Shirts, or Mao’s Red Guard.

The so-called science behind SEL is full of generalities and poorly defined standards, as is much of psychiatry, with little or no long-range observations as to its effectiveness or the potential for unintended consequences. Like so much of psychology and psychiatry, it is experimental at best, but potentially damaging to young brains at worst.

A child’s mind is a giant sponge. It soaks up whatever it hears, sees, feels or experiences, with or without parents to guide it. You can make a Sister Teresa or a Hitler by manipulating what a child hears, sees, feels and experiences in its young life. Even the Catholic church is fond of saying, “give me a child from birth to age five and he or she will be a Catholic for life.”

The potential for manipulating a public education system to the whims of an abusive and arrogant government, are ever present. Without local control, oversight and accountability, those whims will run un-checked, as they are in every state in the Union, as well as the U. S. Congress, being driven by mosly educated idiots.

Years ago when our young son was in elementary school, the school district was toying with going to the “new” math. We attended school meetings to review what this “new” math looked like. We were astounded at how basic public school math had been “tweaked” to the point that simple mathematical concepts had been complicated to the point of making it look like gibberish. We allege that the new concepts were and continue to be the brain child of over-educated idiots, messing with tried and true simple mathematical concepts, who have too much time on their hands and who get public grant money to study altering current processes and procedures, that have already stood the test of time. It is an egregious waste of time and resources.

Many wonder why the cost of education is skyrocketing? Although there are many reasons, one of the main reasons is the expansion of the curriculum way past reasonable reading, writing and arithmetic curriculums, to the point of “experimenting” with our kids’ minds. Much of what is being added to the public school curriculum today, lacks legal or moral authority.

In 1994 the U. S. Congress took a giant step into manipulating the curriculum of the public school system at a Federal level, by passing three pieces of legislation. President George W. Bush’s promotion of the “No Child Left Behind” act, pushed federal intrusion into the public “indoctrination” system even further.

One of the greatest dangers to freedom and liberty is the concentration of power in two few hands. As the Federal Government has expanded its grip on power, over the rights of the states and the people, educated idiots (so-called experts in their field) have taken a greater role in pursuing international social and environmental agendas in the public “indoctrination” system. Local control, the foundation of our liberty by decentralizing power, has gone by the wayside and central control now takes precedence. SEL is the direct result of centralized control, given to us by educated idiots.

These experts are trained in liberal colleges all over America, (is there any other kind?) thereby creating a liberal-socialist mindset and built-in bias in the “experts”. The outcome was and is totally predictable. That outcome is central control over the public brainwashing and indoctrination system for our children, creating collectivist robots who won’t want to challenge authority.

If we do not return to local control of our public school system and allow normal, reasonable and prudent persons to use their common-sense, their education, their instinct and their intellect to guide their decisions on educating our kids, a mirror image of Hitler’s youth or Brown Shirts, or Mao’s Red Guard, becomes a greater and greater potential for America’s educational and political future.

We already have President Obama exerting his “socialist/Marxist” influence into the public school system and our youth, with his “Organizing For America” promotion and website. Young, impressionable minds are already flocking to this siren call of collectivism and “personal duty” to Obama and if allowed to proceed, future generations won’t have a clue as to why America is exceptional, nor have the slightest idea on how to preserve individual freedom.

In the end, it will be left to those with a clear head and a solid understanding of America’s history and freedom itself, to “detoxify” those who have fallen into the devil’s trap. It won’t be easy and may even be impossible.

Everything that government “touches” turns to mush. Need we mention Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Amtrak and the Post Office who are all broke, or going broke. If Government-run Health Care passes, it has the same bleak future. We are out of our cotton-picking minds if we think that Federal control of our education system, steered by educated idiots, has any better chances of success.

Since we are a property rights organization, you might say, “….. what has all this stuff about education, have to do with property rights?” Because, without property rights, no other rights are possible. If we do not “teach” freedom and property rights to our children, from one generation to the next, we will not be able to preserve either. Under the current public education system, freedom, liberty and property rights are the last things being taught to our kids, if at all and because of it, freedom is in grave peril.

© Copyright February 28, 2010 – All Rights Reserved

~ The Author ~
Ron Ewart is the President of The National Association of Rural Landowners and nationally recognized author on freedom and property rights issues. Ron may reached for comment via email at r.ewart@comcast.net.

In addition, Ron can usually be heard each Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. (ET) on Perspectives on America on The Micro Effect broadcasting network, as either Jeffrey Bennett’s guest or Guest Host. Tune in – you’ll be glad you did.

Perspectives on America can be heard from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday on The Micro Effect.