Texas Republicans don’t want no kids thinkin’ fer themselves

The Texas Republican Party has released its 2012 platform, which essentially boils down to proudly declaring how they’re doing everything in their power to make themselves into the biggest, saddest bunch of paint-sniffing wingnuts imaginable. But between the usual anti-women, anti-science and anti-secular planks, there’s also this little gem that’s really straight out of the files of Well That Was Obvious [original emphasis]:

Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.

So, Republicans are officially declaring their formal intent to prevent teaching kids how to think for themselves in order to preserve the brainwashing their parents work so hard to force upon them?

Wait, that actually explains a whole lot, really.

(via Rob F)

Tags: Republicans • Republican Party • GOP • Texas • Texas Republican Party • critical thinking • knowledge-based education