to be honest i’m not sure i agree with that. but that doesn’t seem like the position drdiemz is defending. they seem to want less ideology in schools, or none at all, which is… both impossible and undesirable.

pedagogy is ideological. the way we teach children, the things we teach them, the things we don’t, all that requires a specific ideological framework. free access to knowledge, freedom to choose what to believe, teaching diverse perspectives, those are ideological imperatives not shared by all ideologies. i think we should impress upon our children the value of free access to knowledge, of liberation, of the social forces which have led to them having access to schooling and literacy when before only the wealthy did. and to be honest, from the behavior of a large quantity of the ideological right wing, they seem to think that’s an active threat.

the fact is that ideologies which prioritize the well being of other human beings, their liberties as individuals and as communities, are better, and their ability to learn about any ideology unrestricted is facilitated by the implementation of socially progressive values in their schooling environment. its why i’m always wary of people who seek to minimize politics in the classroom. everything is political. the way in which students are taught is political, the organization of classrooms is political, the certification of teachers is political, the funding for schools is political. every single part of every person’s life is shaped by politics, and if you aren’t engaging students with politics, you are withholding information from them that they should be given.