English teachers book slammed for ‘indoctrinating’ kids into climate activism
Primary school children are being urged to raise money for environmental lobby groups and write activist letters in a new education guide.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australian primary school children are being urged to raise money for green lobby groups, write green activist letters and lecture their parents on being “sustainable”, under recommendations in a new guide issued by a national English teachers’ association.
The teachers’ guide even recommends children sing climate change anthems at assemblies to build “emotional attachment” to planet earth but critics dub it “North Korean-style indoctrination”.
Issued by the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia, the 174-page book called Teaching the Language of Climate Change Science includes exercises in reading and writing for children from preschool to Year 8.
The authors describe the book as a “call to action”.
“Without students taking personal action to mitigate climate change, there is no point to this book,” the authors state.
Teachers are told that students in Years 4 to 6 are learning “how to persuade and can use these new language resources to convince parents and family members to be sustainable”, including using less petrol.
A template letter for 13 to 14-year-olds is provided for them to pester their school principals to create a “climate change student action group”.
This includes the sentence that they see a “bleak picture” for Australia and they want to use Swedish activist Greta Thunberg as inspiration. The letter also states “It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed”.
Author Tony Thomas, who launched his own new book Foot Soldier in the Culture Wars on Wednesday, said the lessons amounted to “global warming catastrophe propaganda”.
His analysis of the instruction guide and accompanying classroom materials points out it doesn’t acknowledge that costly wind and solar farms must be backed up by 24-7 baseload power, nor does it mention China’s growing carbon footprint.
“This single fact illustrates why the complex, heavily politicised and uncertain field of climate science is inappropriate for small kids’ classrooms,” he said.
“The teachers actually encourage the kids to start forking out money for green causes - one is for the polar bears lobby group, which argues wrongly they are becoming extinct.
“How far can this go, wanting kids to empty their pockets as well as propagandise them?”
The book states that “singing an Earth-focused school or class anthem at assemblies is a great way to build attachment to the planet”. It suggests two songs, including I Am The Earth and All The Good Things.
“This blueprint would have kids chanting, North Korean-style, ‘an Earth-focused school’ or class anthem at assemblies,” Mr Thomas said.
“By Years 4-6, kids are trained to write persuasive texts to parents/carers against using petrol, a paradox in light of parents’ chauffeuring kids to and from schools creates ghastly morning and afternoon traffic jams.”
The children are also told “coal-fired power plants need to be phased out”.
The Primary English Teaching Association of Australia has 3500 schools in its membership and is based in Newtown.
In response to the concerns raised, the association issued a statement saying the book was linked to outcomes set by the official Australian Curriculum, which encourages “fostering an appreciation for and care of the environment”.
“The book was written in careful consultation with classroom science teachers, the Experts’ Advisory Group from a range of universities, and representatives from the Australian Science Teachers Association, who verify and support this book as appropriate for students and teachers,” the statement read.
“The science was based on reports from NASA, CSIRO, BOM and IPCC.”
More Coverage
Originally published as English teachers book slammed for ‘indoctrinating’ kids into climate activism
Groom among two fighting for life as bus rolls in horror wedding crash
A mini bus carrying six people has crashed and reportedly rolled about 150 metres down an embankment while on the way to a wedding in the Hunter Valley.
By-election brawl brews as Nationals eye Kiama seat
With disgraced NSW MP Gareth Ward facing expulsion from the parliament next week, a political war is brewing between Coalition partners as Nationals eye off the former Liberal seat of Kiama.