Woketoria Again
I find this sh!t a little disturbing. I dunno about anyone else, but this trend is being reinforced in schools IMO..
Then again, I don't live there and my kids were educated in the real world (well...Canberras world anyway). I DID have to go to the primary school and remonstrate on a couple of occasions.
Concerned teachers have blasted the new VCE English text list for there not being “a single positive piece about being male” as fears grow that agendas are being pushed too strongly in schools.
Susie O'Brien
November 18, 2023 - 1:02PM
Former AFL goal umpire Chelsea Roffey’s book is on the VCE English list. Picture: Nicole Cleary
The new VCE English curriculum has come under fire for lacking any positive writing by white Australian male authors, the Herald Sun can reveal.
The 2024 shake-up of English, the compulsory year 12 subject sat annually by more than 40,000 students, involves 20 new texts and books for students to assess.
For the first time in years, students will also no longer have to compare two texts, but will be asked to produce their own piece of writing.
The full list of 36 texts, which includes plays, films, speeches and poems, includes only seven Australian male authors.
One English teacher has told the Herald Sun the list does not include “a single positive piece about being male”.
The teacher, who does not want to be named, said it was a “tipping point in terms of curriculum”.
“The message is that if you’re straight, you’re thinking too narrowly, and if you’re also male and white, you should bend a knee and confess your sins before you become irredeemable,” he said.
“I can’t call it brainwashing, but I can call it an increasing influence. If asked to justify it to a parent, I would have difficulty,” he said.
The list of seven male Australian texts includes four works that focus on the negative aspects of colonialism and Indigenous “dispossession”.
One is a piece of writing about the LGBTIQ community in the 1970s and one is a fictional book about a young man building a coffin for his sister.
The list also includes Tim Winton who writes about toxic masculinity and the impact of “silence” in the face of “misogynist trash talk”.
The VCAA study design state the texts “reflect current community standards and expectations”.
It says the list is designed to be suitable “for a diverse student cohort”, “display affirming perspectives” and “reflect engagement in global perspectives”.
Colleen Harkin, national manager of the Institute of Public Affairs’ Class Action program, said the list was another example of the curriculum becoming “laden with activist agendas at the expense of providing students with a well-rounded, balanced education.”
“This is a pattern of repeated behaviour where young men are denied the opportunity to see any positive in their male peers, and demeans them with destructive and unproven notions of toxic masculinity,” she said.
Dr Helen Adam, associate professor in Education in Edith Cowan University, said she was a little surprised by the some of the criticism.
“What about the positive role model of men speaking up for justice and equity and truth telling? I would think the men in here that are writing and speaking on justice issues are fantastic representations of men and manhood,” she said.
“I don’t see this as politicisation of the curriculum I see this as ensuring relevance of the curriculum to the lives, communities and times of today’s young people/tomorrow’s leaders,” Dr Adam said.
Ross Huggard, a 43-year veteran English teacher and member of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, said the criticism of the texts “was not entirely accurate” in his view.
“I hear what the teacher is saying but many of these texts are about how males could or should behave, including Tim Winton who is trying to address this very issue,” he said.
“There are some very fine pieces of writing, including Robbie Arnott’s Flames which looks at males and relationships,” Mr Huggard said.
A VCAA spokesperson said: “Texts are selected through a rigorous process to ensure they have literary merit, and aid the study of this key subject in the context of modern Victoria. There are canonical texts for study including Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Sophocles, and William Wordsworth. “There are also contemporary Australian writers like Tim Winton, Robbie Arnott, Amy Duong and Maya Hodge who offer diverse insights into Australian society.”
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
| Look Here -> |
There was an error in the below statement, I have tried to correct it, it doesn’t exactly fit, but hell, it’s the best I can do…
“I don’t see this as politicisation of the curriculum I see this as ensuring relevance of the curriculum to the lives, communities and times of today’s Minority young people/tomorrow’s Minority leaders,” Dr Adam said.
Cheers
Ted (Al)
eaglem (20-11-23)
That's pretty good Al...Originally Posted by Al Bundy
The way I see it is this...
According to YOU Helen....and YOUR view of things. YOU see these things as being admirable in men, and they may be, but what about those who don't necessarily see things that way? What about THEIR right to an opinion?Dr Helen Adam, associate professor in Education in Edith Cowan University, said she was a little surprised by the some of the criticism.
“What about the positive role model of men speaking up for justice and equity and truth telling? I would think the men in here that are writing and speaking on justice issues are fantastic representations of men and manhood,” she said.
“I don’t see this as politicisation of the curriculum I see this as ensuring relevance of the curriculum to the lives, communities and times of today’s young people/tomorrow’s leaders,” Dr Adam said.
According to YOU Ross....and YOUR view of things. How males could and should behave? Who f*cking says? Jeeez, can't someone think differently? Or is that to be discouraged in your world.Ross Huggard, a 43-year veteran English teacher and member of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, said the criticism of the texts “was not entirely accurate” in his view.
“I hear what the teacher is saying but many of these texts are about how males could or should behave, including Tim Winton who is trying to address this very issue,” he said.
The texts should be about the teaching of the correct use of english, and NOT specific points of view. These texts and the motives of Dr Helen Adam and Ross Huggard fall EXACTLY under the umbrella of brainwashing IMO.
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
eaglem (20-11-23)
Agreed! Time was when Ehglish was studying the USE of words and how they can be used to create a picture. NOW all they seem to want to do is describe THEIR picture and f*** everyone else!
Wait until they "improve" the maths curriculum, (oh, sh*t, they already have). how many kids can make change out of a couple of dollars these days?
I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
enf (20-11-23)
English is spelled with one 'h' but your interpretation looks cool
My youngest son is now in year 12 (which started in October, year 11 falls short).
He has Maths Advanced, Maths Extension 1 and Maths Extension 2. He doesn't actually have to attend Maths Advanced any more but he still does.
When I see what he is doing in the Extension classes ... well lets say I wouldn't stand a chance these days.
The assessments also have ridiculous time constraints which do not allow him to complete them, despite having the knowledge to do so.
I have voiced my concerns to his Maths teacher, claiming that Maths is not a quiz show but she said that is what the curriculum requires.
I can assure you all that the Maths curriculum is sufficient to provide a pathway for a theoretical Physicist !
The problem with our schooling in Australia is that the majority of high school Students do not have to take any form of Maths after year 10, abhorrent !
That is why nothing goes here and we are crowded with artists, actors and sport scientists.
My son is the sole student in both his Maths Extension classes. He is in a public school that provides him private tutoring.
As for English (he is in advanced) I can confirm that the OP is dribble !
I asked him if any of this kind of material has ever been provided to him, that is a clear no.
Currently he is doing what is called human experience where a small part does includes sexism and antisemitism(which hardly can be considered 'woke') and of course the compulsory Shakespeare (a male author).
Before that they were doing dystopian literature of which all the authors were male and I personally enjoyed reading myself.
Last edited by Uncle Fester; 20-11-23 at 09:55 PM.
Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...
But your son isn't subject to the Victorian curriculum, is he...
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
No, NSW but we have a Labor leader too, if that is what you might be implying. You did not specify Victoria and only noticed it in the link after you pointed that out.
Schooling here is suffering bad from lack of teachers, far too many classes are cut short but we consider ourselves very lucky that the school does not cut the Maths extension classes, the teacher being the deputy principle who does not have any other classes, although very busy because the principle seems to be non existent since 6 months. Rumour is that he is managing two schools.
Last edited by Uncle Fester; 20-11-23 at 10:14 PM.
Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...
I'll clear it up. Woketoria has been a knickname for the Vics for years, so I assumed that you would get the reference. They happen to have the most woke, left agenda in the country (maybe the ACT is worse these days, but in the scheme of things we are too small to count). Minns hasn't been in power long enough to alter anything really, but he seems to me to be a little more level headed than Dictator Dan was OR Allen, and I would suggest far less corrupt.
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
eaglem (23-11-23)
I got the reference. My eldest was offered a scholarship to remain at the private school he was attending for his high school years but he chose (we gave him the choice) to attend a public High school where they had a vertical timetable. At the end of his 5 years in High school he was given an award as the "Individual" of the year. Yes, he did some crazy things in HS and, as part of the award the teacher (might have been headmaster) said that he had done more maths than she even knew was in the curriculum. He went on to Uni doing two (or three, can't recall) degrees concurrently. He dropped out in his 3rd year because he was bored! Now he works at that Same Uni! I think he is head of the AV department or similar. It certainly was way above my pay grade! This was in the NT in the 90s.
I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
Thanks for clearing this up.
I haven't been following this "woke" movement as I find far more serious and threatening matters happening in the world and locally that attract my attention.
Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...
Well I don't know what Maths requirements were in the curriculum in NT at the 90's but you seem to be talking about today:
At least for NSW 2023/24 I can prove you wrong.
You are simply making assumptions based on some individuals who obviously dropped the Maths classes.
Last edited by Uncle Fester; 21-11-23 at 11:08 AM.
Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...
Unfortunately for you, such people are the ones increasingly making the decisions that affect you, whether you follow their lunacy or not....but...she'll be right hey?
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
Despite Sydney being IMO LGBTxxx capital of Australia, I have not experienced any such decisions affecting me but you pointed out Vic and ACT seem to be more radical, so I can't speak for those.
Unfortunately for you, such people are the ones increasingly making the decisions that affect you, whether you follow their lunacy or not....but...she'll be right hey?
I have noticed in the film and TV industry a certain wokeness (if you can say that), but it is also a matter personal preferences. I simply look away from scenes when men kiss each other but do not mind watching attractive females involved in sexual activities with each other at all.
One might say Star Trek Discovery has woke elements, yet I can deal with that and find it one of the better Star Trek versions, not because some are gay but that doesn't really bother me.
Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...
I don't think NSW even APPROACHES Vic in the woke stakes.
Agree pretty much with the rest...which kinda makes US normal I think.
The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.
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