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Considering the number of times the current Administration invokes faith, it may be surprising to hear the National Council of Churches criticize federal policies on public education. But in a recent statement, the Council pointed to “Ten Moral Concerns in the Implementation of No Child Left Behind.”
For one thing, with its idyllic demand that every child be proficient in reading and math by 2014, the law is setting public education up for failure, says the ecumenical group, which represents more than 100,000 local congregations. For another, the law unfairly shames children—by labeling some “a failing group” in a “failing school.” Even worse, the churches point out that “NCLB makes demands on states and school districts without fully funding reforms that would…close achievement gaps.”
“Christian faith demands, as a matter of justice and compassion, that we be concerned about public schools,” the Council says. “As people of faith, we do not view our children as products to be tested and managed, but instead as unique human beings to be nurtured and educated.”
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