The Peoples' Institute for Re-thinking Education and Development

10 Lies My School Taught Me

  1. Western science and technology can solve all our problems.
  2. Big bombs and big armies will give us security, protection and peace.
  3. Competition and greed will bring out the best qualities in us. I can only win when others lose.
  4. Only Western-style parliamentary democracy can lead to a more just and free society. It gives people a real voice and real choices in the decision-making process.
  5. All life and happiness revolves around money; without money you can't do anything meaningful. If the rich get richer and GNP increases, then the benefits will someday trickle down to the rest of society. So, it is good for the poor that the rich people become richer and consume more.
  6. America and European countries are financially richer because they are smarter and work harder. America and European countries are 'Developed' nations. Poor people around the world are poor because they are lazy and stupid.
  7. Human beings are separate from Nature. Nature is unintelligent and it must be conquered/controlled/ exploited in order for human beings to progress. Furthermore, common people cannot be trusted to take care of their natural resources only the Experts are qualified to do this.
  8. Over-population is the biggest problem facing the world today. If the poor people would just stop reproducing, everything would be okay.
  9. English is a superior language and my local language, Mewari, is inferior, backward and uncivilized.
  10. India became free in 1947 and I am a free and educated individual citizen.

 

I invite you to share the lies that you have been taught.