On the contrary, the last couple of years (including corona) have shown how much misinformation governments and schools are willing to spread. I worry a lot about the best ways to shield my children from that.
> last couple of years (including corona) have shown how much misinformation governments and schools are willing to spread.
I'm genuinely curious--
What specifially are you talking about?
I'm having a really hard time coming up with harmful misinformation that is perpetuated intentionally by the education system (or government) in any western country...
At the beginning of the pandemic in the UK, the government was perpetuating misinformation about masks, recommending that people not wear them, even as East Asian countries had made them mandatory.[1][2][3][4] The same misinformation was also spread by US authorities, hoping this would alleviate the mask shortage for healthcare workers.[5][6] Some even admitted this later.[7]
With Trump (or maybe just the rise of social media in general) cancel culture has become rampant. The general discussion culture has become angrier and unforgiving. People feel they are fighting a war and the enemy has to be shut down at all cost.
With Corona and climate many people feel like literally their lives are at risk. With Corona, censorship of dissenting opinions has become the norm.
I don't want my kids to be taught that boys are bad by nature and have to be taught to be like girls, and girls are only good if they behave like boys.
I don't want my kids to be taught that they are inherently sexist or something-phobic if they are not gay or Trans, or merely approach somebody they are attracted to.
I don't want them to be taught that they are inherently racist and bad because they are white.
I don't want them to be taught that they are doomed because global warming will end the world in a couple of years.
I don't want them to be taught that capitalism exploits people and socialism is the only recourse.
I don't want them to be taught that they should listen to "experts" and believe the scientists. They should be taught critical thinking and doing science.
I'm genuinely curious-- What specifially are you talking about?
I'm having a really hard time coming up with harmful misinformation that is perpetuated intentionally by the education system (or government) in any western country...