The Value of Secular Public Schools | The Preaching Humanist 06.39Join David Oliverio, The Preaching Humanist, as he explores the question of whether religious texts are necessary to instill good moral and ethical behavior in children, making the case for the crucial role of secular public schools in fostering judicious citizens. In this episode, David argues that the good life is guided by reason, informed by science, and motivated by compassion, empathy, and love.Key Discussion Points: The Secular Curriculum in Practice David shares an anecdote about observing a kindergarten/first-grade class during social distance learning. The curriculum in this secular public school focused on teaching first graders in their formative years not bible verses, but rather the seven Cs of character:Getting along with others.Being kind and respectful.Trusting people and having good relationships.Ethics and morals necessary to become good adult citizens.Horace Mann: The Foundation of Secular Education The episode draws heavily on the work of Horace Mann (1796–1859), an American education reformer who promoted public education with a secular nature, similar to the separation of religion and government outlined in the Constitution.Mann famously stated: "Our public schools are not are not theological seminaries".Historian Elwood Cobbleberry noted that Mann did more than anyone to establish the modern American conception of education.The Six Pillars of Secular Public Schools Drawing on Mann's vision, David outlines the six core objectives or "should bes" of public education in America:Universal: Education should be for everybody and easily accessible.Non-Sectarian: Education must be non-religious and avoid divisive groups that are isolated from or critical of others. (David notes that Mann, despite being raised Calvinist/Evangelical Fundamentalist, became progressive and liberal in his theology).Free: Education is a human right.Social Efficiency / Peak Performance: The goal is to raise high-performance individuals in society by teaching them to amalgamate with people of different beliefs and escape their "echo chamber" or "confirmation bias bubble".Civic Virtue: Education should promote the common welfare of the community. David, as a secular humanist and atheist, asserts that ethics and morals are inherent within us as social animals and learned through reason, critical thinking, and consequentialist ethics.Producing Character: Focusing on character development and the seven Cs of character, going beyond "mere learning" to help children become better all-around people.Public Schools as Partners in Development While acknowledging that parental responsibility is number one, David argues that public schools assist in raising children in their formative years. This assistance is critical for children who come from unfortunate backgrounds that lack loving parental guidance, compassion, or structure from caring adults.The host mentions his wife, a high school public special education teacher, who often teaches students from poverty who lack proper structure.Secular teaching already provides good instruction on character building, ethics, and morals.Secularism, Knowledge, and Society David contends that education and knowledge promote good, right living, while crime is the offspring of ignorance and superstition. To achieve moral, good, judicious adult citizens, children must be grounded and rooted in science and knowledge and receive a proper, non-sectarian education. The evidence, David concludes, shows that societies around the world that are more secular, promote science education, and separate religion from government and public schools are the healthier, more peaceful, rational societies with less violence and less crime. Thank you for watching The Preaching Humanist. Remember to let the light and the compassion of secular humanism shine!The Atheist Community of Austin (ACA), is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas. The Atheist Community of Austin is dedicated to promoting atheism, critical thinking, secular humanism, and the separation of religion and government.The ACA serves the local Austin community through outreach programs, providing informational resources and various volunteer activities. In addition, the ACA serves the community-at-large through free online portals including regular audio/video podcasts and social media. We are affiliated with a number of national and international groups devoted to atheism, freethought, or secular humanism.We define atheism as the lack of belief in gods. We see that people can be compassionate, giving, and live happy lives without a god belief. We see that we can have community with each other and work towards a common goal.
Show More
Show Less
12 mins