You have to stand somewhere

You can’t stand everywhere.
You can’t stand nowhere.
You have to stand somewhere.

I believe a claim of neutrality is often bogus and contrary to the never-ending pursuit of enquiry. I have thought about self-interest and curriculum change and I have written about the idea of making better protestors.

However, along comes some more tripe which I would prefer not to give more exposure. But it concerns sniping at education from the outside. It is about defending one set of powerful interests without admitting it.

The GWPF works in favour of free market exploitation of fossil fuels. It doesn’t like awkward questions. It uses pseudo-science to attack science. Lacking in self-awareness, it puts up Lord Lawson as spokesperson to a fawning media. Climate change scepticism is not the mission, it is climate change denial.

In this report it attacks teachers, authors and institutions from a desk. It has not visited any schools to gather evidence for this report as that would require delving into complexity. It has merely scanned a few websites and cherry-picked the content without regard to the context.

The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF)
New Report Reveals Green Brainwashing in UK Schools, 4 April 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/new-report-reveals-green-brainwashing-in-uk-schools/

The Daily Mail
Heads are breaking the law if they preach eco agenda, warns Gove: Education Secretary’s ‘concern’ at report that accuses ‘activist’ teachers, 10 April 2014
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601179/Heads-breaking-law-preach-eco-agenda-warns-Gove-Education-Secretarys-concern-report-accuses-activist-teachers.html

Campaign for Real Education (Chair, Chris McGovern – yes, that Chris McGovern)
Geography’s New Agenda, Alex Standish, July 2004
http://www.cre.org.uk/docs/geography.html