Special Interest Groups Now Influencing Education in California

reusable shopping bagsThe American Chemistry Council has effectively pressured  California school officials to edit their curriculum to include positive messages about plastic shopping bags.  In 2009, a private consultant, hired by California school officials, added a new section to the 11th grade teachers’ edition textbook called “The Advantages of Plastic Shopping Bags.”   The title and teachings were added almost verbatim from letters written by The American Chemistry Council.

The  changes made to textbooks were brought about by lobbying efforts of the American Chemistry Council to fight proposed plastic bag bans occurring across the country.   The consultant added a five-point question to a workbook that asks students to list advantages of the use of plastic bags. According to the revised teachers’ edition, the correct answer is: “Plastic shopping bags are very convenient to use. They take less energy to manufacture than paper bags, cost less to transport and can be reused.”

The American Chemistry Council’s successful influence demonstrates the ability of special-interest groups to affect what is being taught in our school systems.   In the past, Scholastic has also been influenced by the coal industry in their textbooks.

However, one of the most valuable lessons a teacher can instill in our students is the ability to think for themselves.  Teachers across the country are given textbooks to use as resources, but are able to find teaching materials from any resources they find available.  They are able to open up discussions about prescribed materials, so that students can discuss and debate whether they feel what they are reading is correct.

If a teacher combines the message that the American Chemistry Council is suggesting with the message the film “Bag It” is sending, for example, teachers can open up a passionate discussion about our environment from two sides of the fence.  After all, children will ultimately be responsible for their own actions at some point in the future, and learning how to sift through information to make their own intelligent decisions is a large part of becoming a successful adult.

For more on this story, go to Mercury News.

 

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