Friday, April 24, 2009

"Tolerance" replaces civic history class in Jefferson County

A Courier-Journal article today announced that 9th graders in Jefferson County schools will be required to learn "tolerance" in the place of regular history and civics curriculum. While on its face the coverage of the holocaust in the course is important, questions remain about who gets to define what "tolerance" is for the students.
"The course -- Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves -- is a new offering this year for freshmen in Jefferson County Public Schools that has teachers and students raving about the hands-on lessons and discussions about tolerance, social justice and civic participation."
Jefferson County Superintendent Sheldon Berman brought the course from Massachusetts where he was first introduced to in in the 70s. "Students learned a great deal, but I saw them grow morally, socially and in the complexity of their thinking," Berman said.

Local activists including the NAACP applauded the move.

Students will begin to see their school as an ethical community where issues of prejudice, tolerance and justice are vitally important," Berman said. "It will make kids much more responsible students."
Haven't liberals in the education field always denounced "making" kids responsible and imposing "morality" as a foundation for expunging all references to prayer and religion in our schools?

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