A new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a program of the US Department of Education, confirms what most parents already knew: shutting down the schools because of the panic over covid was a disaster for American schoolchildren. According to the NAEP, since the 2020 school shutdowns the average nine-year-old suffered a decline in reading skills and math skills. The reading skills decline is the largest since 1990. The math skills decline is the first ever reported by NAEP.
What makes this especially tragic is that there was no medical justification for closing the schools. Children are unlikely to either contract or spread covid, so the idea that schools had to close to prevent children from infecting their families may be the most absurd of all the absurd claims made by covid authoritarians like Dr. Anthony “I represent science” Fauci.
It was clear to anyone truly following the science that school shutdowns were unnecessary and harmful. Yet, because of the combined clout of the teachers unions and the cult of Fauci, in many communities schools were among the last institutions to reopen. When the schools did reopen, children were forbidden to sit together at lunch or play together during recess. Children were also forced to wear masks the whole school day, which made many children sick.
The teachers unions’ pernicious role in closing the schools shows a sad disconnection among teachers union bosses (and the politicians that do their bidding) from the promoting of children’s education.
The one positive development from the school closures is that many parents discovered how concepts like critical race theory had been snuck into the government school curriculum. This has led to a parental uprising and a renewed focus on electing individuals to school boards who are committed to stopping government schools from indoctrinating children with political and social beliefs or undermining parents’ values.
Many parents moved their children to homeschooling in reaction to the school closures and the revelations on what was really being taught in government schools. After the school shutdowns, there was a huge increase in the number in homeschooling families. As dissatisfaction with government schools grows, more parents will begin homeschooling.
For almost a decade I have been involved with homeschooling through my Ron Paul Curriculum. Students using my homeschooling curriculum can attain a superior education in comparison to standards set by politicians or bureaucrats. Instead of indoctrinating students with instruction in subjects including critical race theory, the Ron Paul Curriculum provides students with a solid education in history, literature, mathematics, and the sciences. It also gives students the opportunity to create their own websites and internet-based businesses. The curriculum is designed to be self-taught, with students helping and learning from each other via online forums.
Starting in the fourth grade, students are required to write at least one essay a week. Students are required to post their essays on their blogs. Students also take a course in public speaking.
The curriculum does emphasize the history, philosophy, and economics of liberty, but it never substitutes indoctrination for education. The goal is to produce students with superior critical thinking skills who can thrive with their individuality.
If you think my curriculum may meet the needs of your child, please visit www.RonPaulCurriculum.com for more information.
This article was originally featured at the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and is republished with permission.
