I think all we should ‘teach’ our children is how to think independently. Then expose them to as much variety as possible and they will learn and learn far more than we can ever ‘teach’ them.
That is to assume the parents have the capacity to teach their children any such skill. It is simply not the case in much of the population.
Many children are therefore dependent on rational offerings from the school curriculum.
Re an earlier suggestion that children should be taken as part of the school program to third world countries, perhaps consider that many parents in lower socioeconomic areas have trouble finding the money to fund a day excursion. never mind an overseas trip.
Neither should schools take on the responsibility of keeping children safe in countries where safety is an issue, even for independent adults.
There seems to be an impression that no reference is made in schools to disadvantaged third world countries.
As part of a school mentoring program I've been in several classes, usually Grades 4 and 5, where a video has been shown depicting the lives of children scavenging in rubbish dumps. The teacher has then led a quite astonishingly perceptive discussion comparing the lives of these children with those in the class, many of whom we middle class people would consider decidedly disadvantaged.
The remarks of the children would put many of the commentators on this thread to shame with their perception and purity, especially in the generosity of spirit they showed in not criticising anyone who disagreed with them.
There's no shortage of disadvantaged people right here in Australia. It might be good if some of the critics of western civilisations could look at doing something themselves as individuals before engaging in so much self-flagellation about the evils of our capitalist society. Perhaps it's my own social milieu, but all around me I see people giving their time and skills to AusAid overseas and personally engaging in helping others, both in terms of time and money right in their own community.
Seems more constructive to me than celebrating greater profits every year on a personal basis.