Charles Ungerleider, Professor Emeritus, The University of British Columbia
[permission to reproduce granted if authorship is acknowledged]
In a response to a question from a journalist about a controversial issue in education, a candidate for provincial office said, “the last thing a parent wants is to feel their child is being taught to be a certain way or taught something against their family’s values." However, that sentiment is antithetical to the purpose of education in a democratic society.
A key
purpose of education in a democratic society is to expose students to a
diversity of perspectives, values, and ideas, not just those that align with
their family's views. This exposure encourages critical thinking, empathy, and
a greater understanding of the world. If education were limited to teaching
only what aligns with each family’s values, students would not be exposed to
values different from those of their parents, leaving them less well-prepared
to function in a democracy.
Democratic
education aims to prepare students to be active and informed citizens, capable
of participating in public debates, making reasoned arguments, and
understanding different viewpoints. If schools restricted what they taught to
the values of individual families, students would be isolated from the social
and political conversations that are vital to the functioning of democracy. Such
restriction would limit their ability to engage with others who hold different
perspectives and would weaken the fabric of civic discourse.
Education in a democracy seeks to develop individuals who can think independently and make informed choices. This sometimes means challenging pre-existing beliefs, including those learned at home. If students are only taught what aligns with their family's values, it limits their capacity for intellectual growth and personal autonomy, both of which are necessary for participating fully in democratic society.
A democratic society relies on a sense of shared values and common understanding. While families may hold diverse views, education plays a key role in promoting civic values such as equality, justice, and mutual respect. If schools avoid teaching concepts that challenge family values, they would fail to instill these democratic principles which in turn would undermine social cohesion.
In a democratic society, all children are entitled to access a broad and balanced curriculum, regardless of their family's beliefs. This includes knowledge about history, science, ethics, and human rights, which may at times conflict with certain familial or cultural values. Shielding students from this information would result in unequal educational outcomes by limiting some students' ability to fully participate in society.
I am
not saying that parents' values are not important. But education in a
democratic society must balance this with the need to promote critical
thinking, expose students to diverse perspectives, and prepare them to
participate in the civic life of a pluralistic society. To do otherwise would
compromise the foundational democratic ideals of freedom, equality, and shared
responsibility.