NationStates Jolt Archive

As per suggestions in the previous forum here is the first draft of a proposal to increase educational freedom. Free Speech in the Classroom was a confusing name since a structured educational environment doesn't have "free speech" in the same sense as people in the general public.

Here it is, suggestions are welcome.

Latest Changes made a government curriculum optional and removed references to mandated curriculum. Change the requirement wording so that teachers should follow curriculum that is within the field of study for which they were hired. Clarified the government's right to outlaws certain speech, basically it refers to unprotected speech, yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater for example.

Proposal Submitted ... I made a slight change where the government cannot retroactively discipline a teacher either. It wasn't specified.

Thanks to Tonca for some good suggestions.


Educational Freedom
Description:

ASSERTING Teachers, professors and other educators will be free from persecution, imprisonment, or other forms of harrassment from the government for what is taught in a classroom setting so long as such teaching does not violate established laws or limitation on speech in the individual nation.

REQUIREMENTS: Member nations will recognize that controversial ideas have a place in educational settings and will not attempt to suppress ideas so long as responsibilities of the teachers and other school leaders are met in public (government funded) schools, or in private schools so long as their actions are not illegal.

Responsibilities of Member governments in public education (nations having no public education systems are exempt from these responsibilities)

The government may not fire or disipline teachers or educators who raise controversial ideas so long as such ideas are in the scope of the curriculum.
Member governments may not retroactively revoke or change curriculum or retroactively discipline a teacher or educator if a controversial issue is raised. When such changes to curriculum are required this resolution strongly recommends a public debate.
This resolution also strongly recommends any education board should be made up of educators and/or elected citizens.


Responsibilities of Member governments regarding all educational institutions (all UN nations will abide by these responsibilities)

Member governments may only make ideas illegal to be taught if harm by teaching the idea can be shown.
Any laws made regarding ideas may not contridict other national laws or UN resolutions and must apply to society as a whole, not just education.
A government may not charge with a crime, jail or harass a teacher or other educational provider in any way for teaching ideas that are not otherwise illegal.


Rights of the Member Government:

This proposal gives the government the right to set curriculum in publically funded schools
The government may reprimand, discipline or even fire teachers or educators of public institutions who choose to teach outside of the set curriculum.
The government may by normal legislative means determine that some ideas or speech are harmful to society and are outlawed in general so long as any laws created do not violate other national laws or UN resolutions.


Responsibilities of Teacher and Educators

Teachers and educators of public institutions have the responsibility to teach curriculum related to the field for which they were hired or be subject to disciplinary action by school or government officials.
Teachers and educators in all settings have a duty to uphold all national laws.


Rights of Teachers and Educators

Teachers and educators of public institutions have the right to teach controversial ideas or information within their field's curriculum.
Teachers and educators have the right to work for or start a private institution if they feel a curriculum is too limiting.


CONCLUSION The practice of requiring specific curriculum for specific ideas is out of the scope of the charter of the UN. However realizing governments may limit speech to "protect the children" this resolution aims to protect all ideas in a classroom regardless of a nation's technical level or cultural, social and religious ideals.

This is a much more concise and direct proposal. It addresses many of the concerns that we address in the other topic.

This still leave our elected government in control of the curriculum and restricts the educators from drifting off target. We feel that this takes into account each individual nations unique social structure and allows each nation to limit possible radical speech by teachers.

Teachers will still fall under the local laws and thereby still regulated by the nation proper.

I will have to consult with my government as we take the education system in our nation very seriously. Anything that might interfere would be looked at with suspicion. I however feel that this proposal would be a benefit to nations.

I will press my government to allow me to put forth a yes vote.

Minister to the UN
Henry Peabody

I like this proposal better than the previous one.

1. Under this proposal the member government must enact a standard curriculum for all schools it funds.
Can you change "must" to "may"? Some nations may wish to fund schools but leave the curriculum up to the discretion of the individual schools. It's further on in the proposal as a right so I'm not sure if it's even needed as a responsibility but it may be easier to have it there for clarity.

3. Changes to curriculum should be made on a scheduled basis and voted on by a board. This schedule is at the discretion of the member nation. However the UN should strongly recommend that such changes be made during school off periods.
4. The educational board should be made up of educators and/or elected citizens.
I don't think these points are necessary. They make the proposal a bit bureaucratic and might put off some nations that would otherwise be in support. I think the 2nd and 5th responsibilities are more important but maybe the 2nd should be expanded a bit so that it's clear that the government can't retrospectively change the curriculum if a teacher has already taught something controversial but that was allowed under the curriculum at the time.

3. The government may by normal legislative means determine that some ideas are harmful to society and are outlawed in general.
I have a feeling that this may contradict other UN resolutions covering freedom of speech and banning discrimination on school of thought. Can someone with more experience please comment on this?

Can you change "must" to "may"? Some nations may wish to fund schools but leave the curriculum up to the discretion of the individual schools. It's further on in the proposal as a right so I'm not sure if it's even needed as a responsibility but it may be easier to have it there for clarity.


Originally I didn't put this but I added it to address concerns that without some sort of basis for limitation teachers would be able to teach whatever they wanted. For example politics in a Math class. The spirit of the resolution would still say "You teach what you were hired to teach" I'm worried that if it isn't spelled out it would be used as a loophole. Perhaps if we added under teacher responsibilities: "Teachers have the responsibility to teach curriculum related to their field or risk disiplinary action by school leaders or government officials".

I don't think these points are necessary. They make the proposal a bit bureaucratic and might put off some nations that would otherwise be in support. I think the 2nd and 5th responsibilities are more important but maybe the 2nd should be expanded a bit so that it's clear that the government can't retrospectively change the curriculum if a teacher has already taught something controversial but that was allowed under the curriculum at the time.

Regarding the 3rd point, I agree, that's what I was trying to get at that: the government can't retroactively remove curriculum. You said it much better with your suggestion of expanding point 2.

As for the 4th point, its an attempt to keep at least some politics out of education. National governments are notorious for passing silly laws that on the surface look like a way to help all the children get ahead but in reality have no basis in educational studies and often do more harm than good. However I recognize that every nation has the right to hang itself with its own noose. :-). Perhaps if we change it to "Strongly recommends that a board of elected citizens or educators ..."

I have a feeling that this may contradict other UN resolutions covering freedom of speech and banning discrimination on school of thought. Can someone with more experience please comment on this?

That's a mistake on my part, the last part of the point should read " so long as they do not violate existing national laws and past UN resolutions". Also 'ideas' should probably be changed to 'speech or ideas'. What I'm really refering to is forms of unprotected speech such as yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater. There were also concerns that this resolution could be used to legally teach hate speech, or as someone mentioned in the other thread classes on bomb making, etc.

Thanks for your input!

Thanks for your input!

No problem. Your responses to my comments sound good so hopefully this proposal will go somewhere.

Here's a friendly bump for my delegate!

Not much action here. Brown Stick Men, maybe you should just submit it now and see how it goes...? I doubt if it will reach quorum the first time, but at least you might get some more feedback.

A decent effort, good work.

Mathieu Vergniaud
Deputy Speaker to the UN

we were afraid this would happen.... looks good, but it is our stance that we are against UN interference in individual nations' classrooms. that, and the fact that nations can enact laws to prevent people from teaching without acreditation, then strip acreditation from people who bring up ideas they dont like.

I like this, for the main part.

However, doesn't it rather allow teachers to teach stuff like "Bananas are the umbral tentacles of the monkey god", as long as they teach the rest of the curriculum as well...?

Not much action here. Brown Stick Men, maybe you should just submit it now and see how it goes...? I doubt if it will reach quorum the first time, but at least you might get some more feedback.

Sorry for the delays ... demands of RL job etc. I plan on submitting this later tonight (CDT) Hopefully some interest can be generated. I'll post again as soon as I do. Anyone want to help contact delegates they know?

we were afraid this would happen.... looks good, but it is our stance that we are against UN interference in individual nations' classrooms. that, and the fact that nations can enact laws to prevent people from teaching without acreditation, then strip acreditation from people who bring up ideas they dont like.

I'm hoping this will help to put the breaks on allowing specific things to be taught by making just about everything legal.

A law against teaching without acreditation would be legal with this proposal, however stripping acreditation I believe would be against the retroactive enforcement clause so long as what was taught is within the curriculum. The stripping of acreditation would certainly fall under the category of disiplinary action.

I like this, for the main part.

However, doesn't it rather allow teachers to teach stuff like "Bananas are the umbral tentacles of the monkey god", as long as they teach the rest of the curriculum as well...?

Its within the rights of the government to displine teachers who teach outside of the curriculum. Nothing specfically says that if they are teaching the curriculum in addition to the stuff outside of it that they can't discipline the teacher.

It's actually a resolution I would support.

we were afraid this would happen.... looks good, but it is our stance that we are against UN interference in individual nations' classrooms. that, and the fact that nations can enact laws to prevent people from teaching without acreditation, then strip acreditation from people who bring up ideas they dont like.


I must agree Lynx on this. I do not want, and will not permit, the UN to tell me what can, and cannot, go on in the Darkumbrian classrooms.

This resolution also strongly recommends any education board should be made up of educators and/or elected citizens.

Does "strongly recommends" infer that whilst this is a desirable trait, it cannot be enforced upon a UN Nation? Tazikh educational boards are made up of educators and one member of the clergy. If this is indeed the case, the Tazikh Government will strongly advocate this proposal to our UN delegate, as without differing opinions, education cannot flourish.

On a domestic level, the support for this proposal and the ideals it presents has led to the Tazikh Government looking at the posibility of appointing elected citizens to our educational boards, and will be collecting internal polling data on this topic.

Ambassador Imran Zaric of the Democratic Republic of Tazikhstan.

I must agree Lynx on this. I do not want, and will not permit, the UN to tell me what can, and cannot, go on in the Darkumbrian classrooms.

We in Brown Stick Men don't like this either, but the UN has already done it with The Right to Learn Evolution proposal. It is our hope that this proposal will be a stepping stone to getting the other one repealed.

The proposal does not mandate a curriculum or particular teaching, it only mandates that member governments play within their rules (no retroactive punishment).

Does "strongly recommends" infer that whilst this is a desirable trait, it cannot be enforced upon a UN Nation? Tazikh educational boards are made up of educators and one member of the clergy. If this is indeed the case, the Tazikh Government will strongly advocate this proposal to our UN delegate, as without differing opinions, education cannot flourish.

On a domestic level, the support for this proposal and the ideals it presents has led to the Tazikh Government looking at the posibility of appointing elected citizens to our educational boards, and will be collecting internal polling data on this topic.

Yes. Originally a board was required but others pointed out that some nations may not like that. Now mostly what is required is that member governments cannot retroactively punish teachers for doing their job, and teachers should do their jobs instead of playing politics.

The proposal recommends a board that is free from politicians. We in Brown Stick Men are pleased with your response as you have vocalized exactly what the proposal intends to do: guarentee free exchange of ideas in education without fear of reprisal, while being sensative to cultural and societal differences.

I intend to persuade my government to support this resolution if possible

FYI: For anyone in the UN (or knows others who are and would support this proposal) this proposal has now been submitted to the UN for approvals. Brown Stick Men -the founder and delegate of my region- would appreciate your support to get this legislation to the UN floor for voting.

I have contacted my regional UN delegate on this proposal and asked that it be approved.

The Tazikh Government wishes you luck in your quest to improve the quality of world education and expresses its gratitude for presenting the idea.

Ambassador Imran Zaric of the Democratic Republic of Tazikhstan.

Thanks everyone so far who has given their support! Please help spread the word!

Thanks!