Reading, writing, 'rithmetic - but no thinking

Central to any kind of education is to ask 'why?' or 'why not?', as that leads to the idea of differences, and how they can be celebrated rather than fought over.

If you teach somebody to learn a fixed text, in a fixed environment, and do not encourage them to question, you create something that excludes all but a narrow set of views and beliefs, eschews the ideas of exploration, understanding, negotiation and reconciliation - and preaches that there is something wrong with those that think differently to you, and in some way, they are worth less than you.

That folks, is the story of some of the madrassas (I stress 'some'). Islam says nothing about little kids learning Koranic verses by rote, rocking back and forth as they recite out loud - but it's an image you have seen a lot of on TV in the past few years. This is not representative of the religion, but it is representative of a few village idiots doubling up as clerics, with no training in how to be teachers.

Of course, I say this knowing that schools in Japan use the rote system, and that Russia is planning on re-introducing Soviet-era patriotism lessons in school, including military-style exercises and lectures in 'patriotic reproduction'.

You couldn't make it up, unless of course, you made up policy.

Returning fleetingly to the topic of BigotPervs, one died today.

Want some candy, sugar? Check out some old time public service announcements.

Don't wait for the revolution to come and seek you out - start your own,

Fearless