University of California Committee Wants to Impose Compelled Speech in High School Ethnic Studies Course
“As word spread of the proposal, more than 100 faculty members sent a letter sharply criticizing it to UC’s Academic Council, which is made up of leadership of the Academic Senate.”
One aspect of free speech, as we recently pointed out, is being free from having to adopt certain speech. In this case, an ethnic studies class would compel people to believe that the course takes place on “stolen, unceded land” – see the bottom of page 10.
EdSource reports:
UC considers imposing criteria for California’s high school ethnic studies classes
An influential committee of University of California faculty that oversees academic admissions requirements is proposing that UC set criteria and content for high school ethnic studies courses similar to what the State Board of Education rejected two years ago as divisive.
If adopted, the requirements (see pages 11-12) would circumvent both a state law and the ethnic studies model curriculum that the state board adopted in March 2021. Both give local districts the authority to decide what should be taught in ethnic studies.
Instead, one of many course goals that UC would require would be to prepare students to “address and dismantle systems of oppression and dehumanization in the many forms in which they appear.” Another would be to prepare students to “recognize and interrogate power and oppression at ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized levels.”
As word spread of the proposal, more than 100 faculty members sent a letter sharply criticizing it to UC’s Academic Council, which is made up of leadership of the Academic Senate. Contrary to the admissions requirements to ensure students are intellectually prepared for college work, the ethnic studies proposal “smacks instead of an attempt to teach students a particular take on a range of highly controversial issues” and “will undoubtedly generate profound opposition,” the letter read. “The university should never be in the position of forcing a particular political agenda upon its own students – let alone all upon UC applicants across the state and the nation.”
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Solution: A group of concerned students should arrange a meeting with tribal representatives. Deliver to them authenticated proof and uncontested admission of the school’s guilt for criminal malfeasance. I’m sure the tribe will appreciate an opportunity to acquire significant settlement money from the school’s lawsuit fund.
UC already imposes compelled speech from its faculty applicants. It requires them to complete a “Diversity Statement” where they state their dedication to left-wing politics and give examples how they have worked toward its goals.
For example, Berkeley’s political committee threw out 76% of the applicants for a Biology position based on their Diversity Statements, which did not show enough woke enthusiasm.
https://reason.com/2020/02/03/university-of-california-diversity-initiative-berkeley/
The University of Illinois just adopted that as well–academia is going to hell in a handbasket–whatever happened to hiring based on excellence and achievement?
I do believe we should dismantle “systems of oppression”, but my definition of that is to abolish government.
Nobody would be compelled to believe anything.
High school teachers would be compelled to say things that they might not believe, but that’s not a problem because high school teachers, as opposed to college professors, are presumed to be speaking for the school, not for themselves, and thus what they say in the classroom is government speech, which the government is entitled to dictate.
Students can’t be compelled to say things they don’t believe, but they can be required to show that they have been taught those things. “The question isn’t what you believe to be true, the question is what were you taught in class. Please answer accordingly, even if you disagree with the answer.”
It still stinks because the whole proposed curriculum stinks. It’s garbage and indoctrination. But the government is entitled to have wrong opinions and to teach them to students in its schools.