IndoctriNation Review

I homeschool for several different reasons, such as a better and individualized education, more family time, and the opportunity to teach my children from a Christian worldview. When I started homeschooling, I didn’t have any major concerns about the public school system; our local schools are rated well educationally and we live in the Bible belt where many of the teachers are Christians. But as the years have passed, I have had increasing concerns about the public schools.

IndoctriNation, produced by  Great Commission Films, is an eye-opening expose of the public school system, from its origins to its current agenda and practices. This 102 minute documentary follows Collin Gunn as he and his family travel the country (in, ironically a big yellow school bus), interviewing insiders and experts in the public schools.

 

Topics covered include:

• Violence, sex, and drugs in the schools
• Exposure to non-Christian values both from other students and curriculum
• The frustration many teachers have with the legal limitations on sharing their faith in the classroom
• The agenda of the teacher’s unions
• The history of the public school system

Some of the content of this documentary can be seen on the daily news or heard from friends and neighbors. We all know that drugs and violence are issues in many schools. We know that many children graduate with poor reading and math abilities.  Some of the content is less well known, such as the specific agendas to indoctrinate children in liberal values, teaching them to be compliant citizens rather than original creative thinkers. I especially enjoyed the interview with John Taylor Gatto, a New York teacher of the year and critic of public schooling and his insider’s insight into how the system works.  It’s frightening to think how much influence a teacher who is a role model for a child can have in 35 hours a week. We can only hope that influence will support and not contradict the values in the home. The stakes are high if it does not.

Did you know that 76% of parents think their children attend a good school, yet 79% of parents believe that most public schools are failing? That doesn’t add up. Three of my children spent some time in public schools and had a fairly positive experience, but there were some negatives as well.

Decisions about schooling are the responsibility of each individual family, and the same choice isn’t right for everyone. However, I think this video is a must-watch for any Christian family who wants to be better informed. There is also a book by the same name that, in my opinion, is more complete in its treatment of the subject for those who want to learn even more.

 

As a member of the Schoolhouse Crew, I was asked to write this review. No compensation was received.