< Changing Worldviews.Commentary >

Words are powerful - Thoughts shape - Ideas have consequences

Debra Rae

Author, "ABCs of Globalism"
Posted February 21, 2005

The Hijacking of State Schools
Part V: Holistic Education, a Dynamic Shift

From geological perspective, movement of one land plate past another can cause jamming. Once these wedged masses spring free, earthquakes occur—mostly under the sea along fractures or breaks in the earth’s crust. Residents of the Pacific Northwest are warned that it’s not if the “big one” comes; it’s when. This being the case, they are encouraged to prepare for inevitable seismic activity.

Similarly, in America’s State schools a dynamic, albeit largely undetected pressure is bearing down on our once unparalleled traditional education system. Secularists of John Dewey fame and mystics of Shirley McCune ilk together form the fault line of humanism, along which trendy holistic models have wedged their way in. Under stress of ongoing massive education restructuring, holism eventually springs free of traditionalism—resulting in quakes certain to yield a disturbing aftermath.

To better understand how this is happening, let’s take a brief look at history. Educational theorist of the 1930s, Arthur Bestor birthed Essentialism, heralding measurable academic standards and discipline. Rigorous curriculum coupled with robust standards—academically, morally, and behaviorally—kept students accountable and competitive. At their best, traditional schools mirrored and reinforced Judeo-Christian values of the American home and family.

In contrast, while using local and global community settings to ensure lifelong learning, today’s holistic movement in education minimizes academics while purportedly enabling student evolution into greater wholes of body, mind, and spirit. In philosophy, holism claims the whole to be greater than the sum of its parts. While prodded into “wholeness,” 21st century students enter the ambiguous realm of evolving truth, imagination, and collaborative consciousness. Consequently, they leave behind old standards, expectations, and rugged individualism.

As holistic models break free from more traditional counterparts, there occurs a quake of significant proportion.

“How can this be?” you ask; “The future’s looking really good in our neck of the woods.” After all, Western Washington is home to its own pioneer visionary, Walter Kistler. This kindly physicist, industrialist, and inventor is an acknowledged philanthropist—and notable futurist. Recipients of the coveted Kistler Prize are applauded for contributions in reproductive and evolutionary biology, not to mention human enhancement technology.

In view of Humanity 3000, Kistler has endowed his Foundation for the Future (1996) to increase and diffuse lifelong knowledge. Colleagues and he are developing the Next 1000 Years television series to be aired on public broadcasting stations. Kistler’s vision mirrors the 1970’s program outlined by UNESCO, global version of our National Education Association. Up-and-coming “Brave New Schools,” as Berit Kjos calls them, feature progressive interdisciplinary approaches, systems thinking, partnerships, multicultural perspectives, and empowerment principles for the Brave New World of possibilities. Herein lies the problem.

A psycho-social process of relearning, the cradle-to-grave model effectively replaces traditional values, attitudes, and individual thinking with a burgeoning new global ideology typified by collective thought and moral relativism. Not surprisingly, Kistler’s foundation links to the World Future Society, global forum called for in the Club of Rome’s 1972 book, Limits to Growth. The WFS is a sort of clearinghouse where political, economic, and spiritual aspects of the New World Order can all merge.

In Reflections on Life, an intellectual odyssey from mere “knowing” to “understanding,” Kistler discards the traditional faith of America as powerless to keep our lives on course. Never mind that Christians founded America’s first 150 colleges and universities. In Kistler’s futuristic world, quantum mechanics eliminate altogether any need for the guiding hand of the Almighty. What do apply are Darwin’s iron law of survival and a concept of purpose created entirely by the human mind.

Karma may not be Kistler’s cup of green tea; nonetheless, he credits most eastern religions (Theosophy for one) for their supposed superior ability to embrace modern science. If not cosmic humanism (belief that all life forms are evolving into a higher state of consciousness), Kistler clearly adopts Darwin’s utopian construct of Historic Optimism. This theory supposes that apart from God and with the passing of time, human thinking, philosophy, and destiny are improving progressively toward balanced, genetically enhanced communities.

We see, then, that mystical and secular evolutionists alike acknowledge powers latent within humanity. This notion is by no means new. For example, a political leader from Massachusetts by the name of Horace Mann believed in the perfectible nature of man. In 1850, Mann bamboozled America into the false assurance that, given a century, secular education would completely eradicate crime and poverty. Plainly, the plan of this patriarch of permissive education didn’t pan out. The same rings true of Darwinism. Increasing numbers in the scientific community concur that nature’s delicate balance unmistakably supports teleology (design) rather than evolution (random chance), yet Darwinian bulldogs simply won’t let go.

While initiating socio-biological action, Kistler’s “survivable survivors” must count on luck. Be sure, luck is no lady. In the progressive paradigm, luck—not providence, nor opportunity by means of essential education—may in fact empower the “survivable survivor,” but at a price. Removing God from civil society effectively eradicates elevated meaning in life; moreover, scientism exchanges sanctification for what C. S. Lewis calls “egoistic castle-building” and “incessant autobiography.” Once Darwin’s iron law of survival fully undermines moral consensus (e.g., Ten Commandments), chaos follows.

A dynamic shift in public education is now in progress. In the field for over thirty years, I discern escalating rumblings that threaten impending danger. As witnessed by thousands of Mexicans in September of 1985, shift of landmass can be devastating. In the space of but a few minutes, a “big one” south of the border took some ten thousand lives and razed more than 200 buildings. The parallel sequence in State schools is evident—from movement along a fault line to violent shaking—and, then, an aftermath yet to be fully realized.

With America’s youth at stake, we can do no less than sound the alarm.

© Debra Rae 2005 Reprinted with Permission

Debra Rae received her Master of Education degree from the University of Washington, and her Bachelor of Theology Master of Ministries degrees from Pacific School of Theology. Her work spans pre-school through adult education, including teaching at the American School of Kuwait, during which time she tutored the daughter of Kuwait's Head of Parliament. After marrying Debra joined her husband in further exploration of Africa, Asia, East- and West- Europe, North- and South- Americas -- about 70,000 miles their first year of marriage! One trip featured a memorable jaunt on the elegant British Concorde. Her book, ABCs of Globalism has prompted numerous radio interviews aired across the nation, the Western Hemisphere, Russia, and the Middle East. And her latest, the ABC’s of Cultural-isms is its sequel. Contact: debraraer@comcast.net,  www.debraraebooks.com