We Need to Depoliticize the Classroom | Melanie Bennet
In this episode Sean Rasmussen speaks with Melanie Bennet, co-host of the popular YouTube channel, The Canadian Culture Wars Report, about the activist takeover of Ontario’s K-12 Education system.
K-12 Education in Ontario has undergone a transformation in the past twenty years, by taking some fairly radical and untested concepts and methods from obscure academic disciplines and pushing them through the system, in a top-down manner. Not many parents understand what is happening. However, the Ontario Human Rights Commission recently released The Right to Read Report condemning the Ministry of Education for using methodologies that are leading to poor student achievement (instead of evidence-based methodologies that are shown to work).
Why are educators doing this? Why isn’t there more pushback from parents? Is it possible to depoliticize education? We discuss these questions and more, including: the purpose of K-12 education, political echo chambers, “progressive” politics, the reactionary right, the reluctance of centrist Canadians to get involved in culture issues, and the Trump administration’s new education executive order. It’s a great conversation you’re not going to want to miss, especially if you have a child in public school.
About the guest
Melanie Bennet is co-host of the popular YouTube channel, The Canadian Culture Wars Report, a show that explores the ideological shifts that are shaping Canada’s education system and public institutions.
Other resources
Ontario Human Rights Commission – Right to Read Inquiry
Parents Rights Coalition of Canada
Ways to listen to this episode
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube or wherever else you get your podcasts!
