Putin’s Friend Profits in Purge of Schoolbooks
Source: NY Times
MOSCOW The purge began in late winter. One by one, hundreds of textbooks that Russian schoolchildren had relied upon for years were deemed unsuitable for use in the countrys 43,000 schools. The reasons varied, but they shared a certain bureaucratic obstinacy.
...
Then there was the case of the colorful math textbooks published by a decorated educator, Lyudmila G. Peterson, cashiered for using characters from popular foreign childrens stories. Illustrating math problems with the likes of Snow White, Eeyore and Owl, in one experts decisive opinion, was hardly designed to instill a sense of patriotism in young Russian minds.
By the time the school year began this fall, the number of approved textbooks for Russias 14 million schoolchildren had been slashed by more than half. The summary winnowing by the Ministry of Education and Science upset lesson plans, threatened the livelihoods of nearly two-dozen small publishers and left principals, teachers and parents puzzled and angry.
There was, however, one standout winner: A publishing house whose newly appointed chairman was a member of President Vladimir V. Putins inner circle, Arkady R. Rotenberg, a judo sparring partner from Mr. Putins St. Petersburg youth. The publisher, Enlightenment, survived the education ministrys culling almost untouched. I have never seen such a level of cynicism and chaos before, said Vladimir A. Peterson, who manages the publication of the math textbooks developed by his mother.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/world/europe/putins-friend-profits-in-purge-of-schoolbooks.html?_r=0
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)And brainwashers.
A fine example of why VOTING is so important.
louis-t
(23,297 posts)on the covers. Because that has worked out so well.
albino65
(484 posts)We tolerate the figurative and in some cases literal book burning that is orchestrated by some school boards across the United States. We have our own flavor of Nazism alive and well within the bible thumping, conservative community.
Tikki
(14,559 posts)No diversity, no free thought, all dictator...kook brother's dream.
Tikki
freshwest
(53,661 posts)http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024620592
There's a video on that thread in which the Faux Noisome Stench says Obama doesn't see the USA as special. But we know when he says exactly that, the 'Obama is Romney because he says America is 'Exceptional' from some on the left.
But he's speaking about a hard to maintain value, because without the voters believing in Equality, it all fails. He's not talking about 'Might Makes Right.' PBO has said directly that 'Right Makes Might' with good ideas, not military force.
The GOP supports the former view of politics, they are all about force on those who dissent with their power and MIC might, not about ideals.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)we do. We tear pages out of text books, we revise history we do not like and we refuse to talk about science half of the time. So how can we say anything?
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)finger at Russia when my own country allows the same.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Maybe YOU won't say anything, but I will. Screw Putin and his new Russian empire.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)looks like they are using the Texas model.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)rewriting history to their extreme, dangerous, hard right, rightwing world view.
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)that will also make it much easier to control the content. They might as well stamp "Kremlin Approved" on each textbook with Putin's signature.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)from our own billionaire education reform playbook and Pearson PLC, but they still have a long way to go before the can play like the American league.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Now if only they were as interested in corruption here.