Big Brother On Campus
Jul. 24, 2006 at 8:21 AM
Whether you call it a "national unit records database" (the first name) or a consumer-friendly information database" (the second), it is in fact a mandatory federal registry of all American students throughout their collegiate careers -- every course, every step, every misstep. Once established, it could easily be linked to existing K-12 and workforce databases to create unprecedented cradle-to-grave tracking of American citizens. All under the watchful eye of the federal government.This is part of a direct move toward nationalizing all education into one federal system. I wrote about this troubling commission here.
A national standard of education is a death blow to democracy in America. I hope parents take the time to get informed and decide what type of country they would like their children to inherit.
We already have testing and a demand for national standards at the elementary and secondary levels. Combining the two tracks into one seamless preschool - college (P-16) system is the ultimate objective. (See my post, The New 'C' in NCLB)
Recently, I had a friend call and ask me about her fifth grader. He was declared "unemployable" by his school. He's in fifth grade! His employability was determined by a test score. Parents need to understand, education for some is not primarily about teaching your children. It's about preparing them for work. A seamless P-16 tracking system will allow the government to do this as efficiently as possible. The work of this commission is another step in that process. The full report isn't due out for until September.
Related Tags: higher education, NCLB, college assessments, homeschooling, home school, secondary education, standardized testing
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