Building
Foundations in Education
Education without principles
is like a building without foundations. It is precisely
to discuss a concern for these principles that students,
teachers, scholars, officials and concerned citizens gathered
for the Tenth Annual Foundations of Education Symposium
at Topeka’s Washburn University on November 4. The
one-day event was organized by the school’s Prof.
G. Daniel Harden who put together an exciting program
addressing topics ranging from the role of manners and
civility in education to the influence of feminist studies
and psychological testing in schools.
American TFP Vice President
John Horvat spoke on “The Educational Importance
of Manners.” His talk complemented that of Kansas
University Prof. James Hillesheim who likewise spoke on
the quest for civility in troubled times.
“If we are to reestablish
manners and their proper role in education,” Mr.
Horvat commented, “we must reconnect with the values
and principles that gave rise to them and confront and
disconnect with a culture that lives in denial of these
very principles.”
Educator Bevery Eakman,
author of the book, The Cloning of the American Mind,
discussed the disturbing trend of psychological testing
in education. As director of the Maryland-based National
Education Consortium, Mrs. Eakman believes such testing
and the use of test data institutionalizes the abandonment
of moral absolutes and enthrones moral relativism.
In a similar vein, Prof.
Gregory Schneider from nearby Emporia State University
spoke on the effects of entrenched feminism on the quality
of education in today’s university.
Local Kansas educational
concerns where addressed by Karl Peterjohn of the Kansas
Taxpayer’s Network and newly elected Kansas State
Commissioner of Education Robert Corkins.
As always, the program
proved thought-provoking and challenging. However, this
year’s participants were especially pleased with
the excellent topics and discussion. Attendance at the
annual event is growing and the conference is fast becoming
an important date on the region’s education calendar.
