ABSTRACT
Educational standards have been falling in Australia and some other Western countries. The current National Curriculum for Australian schools includes three cross-curriculum priorities. The rationale for choosing these priorities is exposed as being based on ideology. The curriculum was reviewed by two experts in the field but their report seems to have been ignored. The result has been brainwashing of students in their formative years by political ideology rather than development of free thinkers. Some of the deficiencies in school education have been put forward. John Gatto makes a distinction between education and schooling. He asserts that the present system of imprisoning students for hours each day is producing conformists instead of unique individuals. He points to the parasitic growth of government monopolies. He distinguishes between networks which include schools and communities in which there are more meaningful relationships. John Medina, a specialist in brain science, asserts that classrooms are anti-brain environments. He suggests that more physical activity should be incorporated. The research of Martin Seligman, an American psychologist, has shown that people respond differently to trauma in life. His research showed that people who accept failure (learned helplessness) can be trained to change and become stronger.
