Should Students Be Taught Military Propaganda or the Facts About the Invasion of Iraq?

[mepan]

Britain's biggest teachers' union has accused the Ministry of Defense of breaking the law over a lesson plan drawn up to teach pupils about the Iraq war. The National Union of Teachers claims it breaches the 1996 Education Act, which aims to ensure all political issues are treated in a balanced way.Teachers will threaten to boycott military involvement in schools at the union's annual conference next weekend, claiming the lesson plan is a "propaganda" exercise and makes no mention of any civilian casualties as a result of the war.They believe the instructions, designed for use during classroom discussions in general studies or personal, social and health education (PSE) lessons, are arguably an attempt to rewrite the history of the Iraq invasion just as the world prepares to mark its fifth anniversary.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/iraq-teachers-told-to-rewrite-history-795711.htmlIn a "Students' Worksheet" which accompanies the lesson plan, it stresses the "reconstruction" of Iraq, noting that 5,000 schools and 20 hospitals have been rebuilt. But there is no mention of civilian casualties.In the "Teacher Notes" section, it talks about how the "invasion was necessary to allow the opportunity to remove Saddam Hussein" but it fails to mention the lack of United Nations backing for the war.

[meowpotatoes]

I don't know how it is there,but the US schools rarely teach facts about history(especially military history),if they teach history at all. I think facts are better.

[mepc4u]

Public education system is usually just indoctrination from pre-k to college...usually leaning hard to the left.

[mercedesc]

Well... if the law states that political issues must be treated in a balanced way, the Ministry of Defense provided one side, now someone else has to come up with the other side, right? Why would the one party present their own side and then present the opposition's side? Isn't that for the opposition to do?

[Mensageiro]

No, they should not. The bigger question here is why the Ministry of Defense is writing lesson plans for schools?

[Mendi8a]

ya, i have noticed how the History Channel has been white-washing the facts of the Iraq war and stating only pro war facts~!!!they didnt used to be that way, must be some heavy duty influence lookin over, and putting some pressure on them~!!!

[Menchi]

It depends.If the student is your "normal" monumentally hypocritical right wing Christian fundamentalist they must have a daily dose of propaganda for they simply cannot think for themselves. If the student is one of those "My country right or wrong" idiots who have no problem with their country committing all sorts of atrocities including crimes against humanity ,they would enjoy these courses.For the immoral robber baron conservative "entrepeneurs" ,these courses are mandatory to determine the business opportunities in Iraq such as coffin making to bury the 600,000 plus Iraqis that the neo-con war monger Bush is accountable for when he decided to wage a crime against humanity upon a pack of filthy lies.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001442.htmlIf you are one of those idiots who think that none of these obscene atrocities by the US had anything to do with 9/11,you will love these courses.http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/CIAtimeline.htmlhttp://www.serendipity.li/wot/us_terr_st.htmhttp://www.serendipity.li/cia/cia_terr.htmlhttp://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780511190162&ss=excThe reason these teachers are threatening action is because NO MENTION OF THE 600,000 INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS SLAUGHTERED (in one way or another) BECAUSE OF US ACTION IS MADE .Now to the 87 % of Americans who claim to be Christians ,their US Military during the Vietnam crime against humanity coined a new phrase to describe the hundreds of thousands of innocent Vietnamese who were being napalmed to death from on high by WAR HEROS LIKE JOHN McCAIN .That phrase was an obscenely vile one ; COLATERAL DAMAGE .Only the monumentally morally and ethically bankrupt Christians of America could dream up such a humanity denying phrase.May Christ have mercy on your souls !!!From now on ,all those slaughtered on 9/11 are to be referred to by the US military's very words COLATERAL DAMAGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!However ,if you like this phrase ,as obviously many Americans do,you will love these courses. However if you are a moral / ethical sane human especially a Christian (or any other ) who really believes Christ when He warned us that "THOSE WHO LIVE BY THE SWORD ,DIE BY THE SWORD " and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" ,such courses are an obscenity .If you agree with the famous Samuel Johnson when he said:"PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF A SCOUNDREL ",these filthy lie filled courses are NOT for you.PS Here is that famous picture of that 6 year old Vietnamese TERRORIST running down a road after having been burnt horribly by either John McCain's napalm bomb load or that of his other BRAVE HEROS .http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/asia_pac_enl_1115306756/html/1.stmThese courses are needed desperately in order that Americans and Britains never have to face the TRUTH of what they have done.