Governor’s School allows free and open learning
In her letter of April 29, Marcia James unfairly describes the experience of high school students at the N.C. Governor’s School. As a 2008 alumnus of the N.C. Governor’s School in Raleigh, I feel obliged to contest Ms. James’ negative depiction of Governor’s School.
She speaks of a bombardment of formidable challenges to the faith and core values of a family member who attended Governor’s School. In my experience last summer, I found that I and other students strongly appreciated the open questioning and dialogue rarely found in normal secondary schools today. For the first time, students are able to view the interconnectedness of knowledge and see how physics could be linked to philosophy or math can be linked to medicine.
Criticism of the program has come mainly from those terrified of the thought of a “liberal agenda” being pounded into the heads of high school students. However, it is not a liberal or conservative ideal to freely discuss morality, ethics or faith. I was never told what to believe but rather how to believe. Programs like Governor’s School afford bright students the opportunity to freely question and reason. When we teach our best students that they should isolate themselves from free and open discussion, we are doing them a disservice.
Connor Crews
Greensboro
Comments (4)
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Wonderful letter. Well said.
Posted on May 4, 2009 9:33 AM
My initial thoughts upon reading Ms James' letter last week was that the Governor's School was still doing after 40-some years what it was supposed to be doing, and that some of our citizens don't understand what that is or appreciate how important it is. Connor Crews' letter strengthens and clarifies the first thought; I have hope that the latter will some day be shown wrong.
Well done, Connor.
Posted on May 4, 2009 11:14 AM
"However, it is not a liberal or conservative ideal to freely discuss morality, ethics or faith.... When we teach our best students that they should isolate themselves from free and open discussion, we are doing them a disservice."
You're correct, it is most certainly not a Liberal idea to freely discuss anything. The left preaches "tolerance" just so long as you're not right of center.
Mr. Crews, remind us just how the "tolerant" Liberal students at UNC allow such free and open discussion. Isn't it good to know you can shutdown any Conservative gathering, just by breaking a window?
Posted on May 4, 2009 11:55 AM
"When we teach our best students that they should isolate themselves from free and open discussion, *we are doing them a disservice*.""
*Someone needs to tell the political science dept. at UNCG about that concept.
Posted on May 4, 2009 12:10 PM