This would open the worm can. Every kid come usually with parent's beliefe and too often they are made of trash as hoax, conspiracy, elves, creationism, urban legend etc. etc. You can imagine how would look a lesson if anyone would be allowed to give his opinion
With a little of order, the lesson could be done almost without problems... I can say it, because i had high school teachers (specially my History/Geography/Citizenship Ed. teacher and my Spanish Grammar/Litherature teacher -i should say, THE BEST teachers ever i had
-) that had a different concept for giving lessons with more aperture. They always said
"No se crean todo lo que digan" ("Don't believe everything the world says"). What is the result of the lack of critical thought? U.S.A between 2001 and present. Or better even: Costa Rica now, a country who decides how fast becomes
on presidential elections next February (if Ar81 were here...).
Also... do you know the "Humanities" courses in the Colleges? Being you from another country, you possibly know them or not (but, being France the cradle of Illustration movements, i doubt that you doesn't know them
), for this reason, i made the question. These lessons are precisely designed for anyone would be allowed to give his opinion.
School at least is supposed to teach common and standard knowledge.
This teacher made an error but he was 100% correct to punish the kid for his behaviour.
Ok, but if the "common and standard knowledge" is a... you should questionate it...
Now, about the punishment. Ok, if the behavior is irrespectful, the punishment is ok. BUT, if first, the statement is questioned
respectfully but the teacher continues foolishly on his mistaken thought... if i was parent, the teacher will receive a good fish-tail slap...
The things become worst if the physical punisment is also present. I remember an era in Costa Rica, when the educative politics was known like
"La letra con sangre dentra" ("The letter with blood penetrates" -aclaration: "dentra" means "entra" (enters or -in this context- penetrates in the campiran costarrican accent). And inclusive, two years later that the letter posted by agentzoo was written, i had a teacher with this politics...
this
made of my primary school a complete hell.
The punishment should be done very cautiously...
Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist said one time
"Not all by being law is correct".
I having "the truth" authorize to perturbate being disrespectefull or violate rules you can imagine how a society would look as almost 100% peoples think they have it even those with the most idiots beliefe. World is full of peoples that bomb other because they think they have the truth
With a completly fool called George W. Bush governing USA from 2001 to 2009, i can imaginate everything. You could be completly sure that you said is a recipe for the disaster...
Now if a teacher become mad and start to teach for example creationnism the right way is that parents submit an official complaint to hierarchy.
Posts upper yours, other orbinaut did it and read the answer... I don't know how is the thing in the USA, but in CRC, you submit a complaint to hierarchy, well, you have deaf ears... bad treats... even people more stupid than the teacher that motivated de complaint (!!!!). If you knew the things that my parents should suffer for giving to my sister and me a good education... more than a time my father should fight fist-to-fist with some teachers and incompetent principals, he, though being illetrate, know a couple of things that many professors don't: respect and openning of thought.
Unfortunately we have this no-child-left-behind style of teaching so that the more advanced students get dragged down along with everyone else for the slower ones. However if the more advanced people are really into learning, they will go beyond the classroom, to learn new and different things.
Shhhht!!! please don't remember me this!!! :'( I was a library-mouse all my childhood and teenage. I know how frustrating is being dragged along the slower (and the people don't interested in learning). Instead of being stimulated for increasing the learning process, the educational system only frustrates.