June 22, 2008
You're Never too Young
This story in the UK Telegraph caught my eye because it combines two subjects we here at AT take great pride in exposing; leftist stupidity and why that makes them dangerous.
From the UK this morning comes word that the Brits are going to start teaching kids about human rights. Now parenthetically, there is nothing much wrong with that (except, of course, it is the left's idea of human rights that is at issue).
But beyond what the left believes are "human rights" is the age of their target audience; about 3 years old:
Nurseries across the country are adopting the project, which will see teachers explaining to children as young as three that people across the world live different lives but everyone has a right to food, water and shelter.Staff will also be expected to ensure that children are treated as independent human beings, and have the "right" to choose their toys or have a drink of water whenever they want.It is an extension of a Unicef scheme already in use in primary schools, in which pupils analyse the responsibilities of fairytale characters and sign a joint declaration with teachers of how people should be treated.
The move comes amid growing concern about the Government's "nappy curriculum", a set of 69 learning targets for under-fives which experts say will leave young children confused and demotivated.
Sue Palmer, a former headteacher and author of the book Toxic Childhood, said: "Toddlers are still working at a very emotional level. They should be told stories and allowed to sing and play. That's what will turn them into normal people."
Dr Richard House, of the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education at Roehampton University, added: "The idea that this kind of learning is appropriate for nursery-age children is absurd, and betrays a complete lack of understanding of child development.
This goes part and parcel with the idea that children are really just "little grown ups" and should be treated as adults at all times. Imagine your "little grown up" testing your patience (and sanity) by asking for a glass of water every two minutes. Or playing with a toy for 45 seconds and then running to get another simply because they are able to.
I'm with Dr. House - whoever thought this one up has no knowledge of child development. I will go farther and say it could very well be that the designers of this program have never had children at all.
What's next? Sex education with live demonstrations?