The Role of Public Education in Indoctrination and Disposability during the Era of Fascist Politics

Introduction

The article „Public Education as a Domestic Machinery of Indoctrination and Disposability in the Age of Fascist Politics“ by Henry A. Giroux, discusses the ways in which public education is being used as a tool for indoctrination and disposability in the current political climate. Giroux argues that the rise of fascist politics has led to a shift in the purpose of public education, from one of critical thinking and civic engagement to one of obedience and conformity.

The Role of Public Education in Fascist Politics

Giroux argues that public education has become a „domestic machinery“ for the promotion of fascist politics. He notes that the current political climate is characterized by a „politics of disposability,“ in which certain groups of people are deemed disposable and are excluded from the benefits of society. This politics of disposability is reflected in the way that public education is being used to promote conformity and obedience, rather than critical thinking and civic engagement.

Giroux notes that the rise of fascist politics has led to a shift in the purpose of public education, from one of preparing students for active citizenship to one of preparing them for the workforce. This shift is reflected in the emphasis on standardized testing and the narrowing of the curriculum to focus on job skills rather than critical thinking and civic engagement. Giroux argues that this shift is part of a larger effort to create a docile and obedient workforce that is willing to accept low wages and poor working conditions.

The Need for Resistance

Giroux argues that the only way to resist the use of public education as a tool for indoctrination and disposability is through collective action. He notes that resistance can take many forms, including protests, strikes, and civil disobedience. He also emphasizes the importance of educators in this resistance, noting that they have a unique role to play in promoting critical thinking and civic engagement.

Giroux concludes by arguing that the current political climate requires a new vision of public education, one that emphasizes critical thinking, civic engagement, and social justice. He notes that this vision will require a fundamental shift in the way that we think about education and its role in society. Ultimately, Giroux argues that the future of public education depends on our ability to resist the politics of disposability and to promote a vision of education that is grounded in social justice and democratic values

Original article Teaser

Public Education as a Domestic Machinery of Indoctrination and Disposability in the Age of Fascist Politics

Photograph Source: State Archives – Public Domain There are no commanding visions of public education at work in the United States. These are dark times for education, teachers, librarians, Black youth, trans people, young people and the empowering principles of academic freedom, critical thinking, civic courage, and a shared notion of citizenship. Since the 1950s, and especially since the 1980s with the election of Ronald Reagan as President, there has been an intense struggle both to privatize public schooling and to corporatize higher education.[1] In its updated and expanded version, the current far right extremists in the Republican Party are waging a naked attack “on the very existence of public education.”[2] In the first half of the 20th century, the

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