to round out our month of Independence Day related topics, Keith returns to the days of old-time radio.
It was a common thing for our government to produce educational programming. The series, Lest We Forget, was produced in 1943. In this episode, we compare what a bad school system looks like compared to the excellent ones that were in place in America at the time.
Keith interjects remarks as the story unfolds. The struggle in the world at the time is not to be free from tyranny for ourselves alone, but for those of future generations to come. How do we keep the light of liberty burning in our children’s souls? A free democratic education is the best gift that our children are entitled to.
Education is not just reading writing and arithmetic. Schools teach the ideals of what makes a country great. One of the first problems to confront our new government was public education. It is the only sure reliance to preserve our liberty. Educating the common people.
Early settlers, frontiersmen and citizens discuss the children’s education. One complaint is that the youngsters are being kept in school for too long, but would you rather have that or a population growing up in ignorance? Over the years great men have emerged from humble schools. As time goes on more subjects have been taught.
A drama sets up the comparison between European and American school systems. In a European school room. The schoolmarm is told to abandon classical teaching for those with Aryan ideals. She has a list of those not permitted to return to class. Only the students the state finds worthy will receive an education. The class role is taken, and the undesirables are removed, the one student who was left is some based only on his appearance, even though he’s the lowest and poorest student in the class.
What about schools and colleges in America at the time? How are they guarding democracy and freedom. The scene changes to an American classroom where a bully takes offense at a boy named Jake. Problems continue when Fritz complains about being seated next to Jews, and being taught by Catholics. On the playground the bully begins to pick on Fritz, but Jake sticks up for him. Fritz seems to have learned his lesson about what it’s like to be picked on. School is more than learning the fundamentals, it’s also realizing how to live together like true Americans.
In a closing scene, the boys all express what they’ve learned about Democracy. Its more than a government of the people, by the people and for the people it’s also learning the ideal of equality. Learning is not just for personal entitlements and benefits; it ensures that what is learned will be handed on to future generations.
Keith’s personal take away is that schools today could learn a lot about teaching ethics based on our Constitution, rather than indoctrinating kids to be activists.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:25 — 72.0MB)
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