Cool to see you again, man. You have more or less encapsulated my thoughts on this issue with the exception of one MAJOR piece: At what AGE do we (or should we) introduce this kind of nuance and detail into a kid's education?
I wrestle with that.
I think this curriculum is meant for middle school and high school, right? i.e., 11- and 12-year-olds, possibly? Is that a good age to talk about slavery in that way? If so, why not be as clear with respect to sexual assault and family separation practices during slavery? (Apparently the curriculum treats those last two more parenthetically.)
I submit Germany during WWII--The Nazi's:
A lot of technological advancements were born out of this shameful moment in history. Should we hide that fact from kids? I don't think so. But at what age should we insert that discussion? Should we put it in the *guidelines*?
These are not simple questions to me. (We're talking PUBLIC schools.)
As we grow into adulthood, no subject is off-limits in terms of Q&A as far as I am concerned, regardless of how we feel. But obviously, kids are not adults.
Charles, appreciate the kind words! There are a ton of things with which to "wrestle" as we examine this issue. I had not considered the age question, although I agree with your observation regarding the difficulty in properly timing discussions of complex subjects. TBH, I have no clue. I default to the "just offer all the facts and let the listeners sort it out" point of view.
Wilster,
Cool to see you again, man. You have more or less encapsulated my thoughts on this issue with the exception of one MAJOR piece: At what AGE do we (or should we) introduce this kind of nuance and detail into a kid's education?
I wrestle with that.
I think this curriculum is meant for middle school and high school, right? i.e., 11- and 12-year-olds, possibly? Is that a good age to talk about slavery in that way? If so, why not be as clear with respect to sexual assault and family separation practices during slavery? (Apparently the curriculum treats those last two more parenthetically.)
I submit Germany during WWII--The Nazi's:
A lot of technological advancements were born out of this shameful moment in history. Should we hide that fact from kids? I don't think so. But at what age should we insert that discussion? Should we put it in the *guidelines*?
These are not simple questions to me. (We're talking PUBLIC schools.)
As we grow into adulthood, no subject is off-limits in terms of Q&A as far as I am concerned, regardless of how we feel. But obviously, kids are not adults.
Charles, appreciate the kind words! There are a ton of things with which to "wrestle" as we examine this issue. I had not considered the age question, although I agree with your observation regarding the difficulty in properly timing discussions of complex subjects. TBH, I have no clue. I default to the "just offer all the facts and let the listeners sort it out" point of view.