Self-censorship, and the fear that drives it, seems to be the goal of much of the educational legislation in the last five years or so. Revamping control over the curriculum is widespread, certainly not limited to Texas or to higher education. “ Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” President Trump declared in 2019. Since then, the political machine has taken aim at education in efforts unprecedented in both pace and scope; not even the McCarthy era’s fear-mongering took aim at libraries, schools, and Universities.
Legislation in Texas has inserted the state into governance over materials in public schools and universities, stripping educators of their roles in governance and replacing faculty with politicians as decision-makers. Serwer investigates how AI is being put to use in curriculum review in Texas’ state universities, but AI is certainly not the only new facet to sidelined educators, nor is it the largest problem. The idea that the state can and should control curriculum over and above educators is the definition of state-controlled education. The whole process is predicated on the notion that education, educators, and even ideas, are dangerous, and that there should be controls to protect us from being exposed to them.
The creation of state-controlled education is totalitarian, authoritarian, and antithetical to the ideas and ways of freedom. Education is not about limiting investigation, and certainly not about making inquiry itself submit to a stamp of State approval.
Investigation is the path of knowledge.
Out of knowledge comes choice.
Out of choice comes agency.
Out of agency comes freedom.
