Politics in School.

[John McPain]

*Note*
This is not the thread to discuss your feelings toward any of the political issues mentioned. Please stick to the questions stated.



Learning about how our government works is very important. Discovering your own feelings toward issues like abortion, gay marriage, and the death penalty is a step (I belive) toward adulthood and is equaly important.

Here are the questions.

1. Is it ethical for teachers to tell childern what is right and what is wrong in the context of political issues?

2. At what age group do most children start figuring out how they (not their parents, not their friends or peers) feel on certain issues. This is the age group that I belive would be acceptable for a teacher to bring up issues for a report, debate, or class discussion and state his/her opinion on political, or religious issues (but not tell students what is right and what is wrong).


I belive that teachers (especialy thoes that teach young children) should not be permited to discuss political or religious issues. I say this because of how impressionable young children are. They don't understand that authority figures make mistakes, and are imperfect. I belive that a first grade teacher that expresses his/her opinon (from the child's perspective) is expressing the "correct" way to feel about that issue.
Seriously, can a child in the first grade even partialy comprehend what abortion or gay marriage is?
Number two I will leave up to you.