Keep Religion Out Of Science Education
We’ll be asked to pass a state constitutional amendment for tax money to go to some private – even church-run – pre-kindergarten schools. But look at those charter school problems managing state money. And kids taught in religious schools?
I’m leery about that.
However, I’ll gag my reservations and vote “yes.”
We need schooling for our 18,000 kids turning 4 years old. Some parents can pay for private schools, but many more cannot.
If we say yes, we can float bonds or use reserves to fund sufficient private schools to handle every 4-year-old. We would qualify for federal funds.
A lesson plan by the Science 4 Project developed by Bob Jones University as a suggested way to teach science to young children – the kind of religious-oriented instruction that should be prohibited from Hawaii's pre-K school plan | Graphic from Bob Jones
Forty states permit that, but that’s as meaningless to me as saying that there are states that have loose or public-carry gun laws. I want what’s good for Hawaii.
There’s nothing as conducive to our long-term community success than early-childhood education. Kids are ready to learn at 4, so let’s teach them.
If we don’t have the qualified public schoolteachers and the public facilities for that, then we bite the bullet and use private preschools. Yes, non-union is OK with me.
Many preschools and charter schools are supported by churches and religious organizations. So we need to ask: Does the school avoid religious education?
The amendment is a no-agreement issue for Democratic Senate candidates Brian Schatz and Colleen Hanabusa. He favors it. She does not. Neither has dealt with filtering out all religious elements. Check out my attachment of an example of the “Science 4 Project” that Bob Jones University (no relation) in South Carolina is suggesting for schools.
Can’t be tolerated if we’re supplying public funds.
How often can we public scribblers write about sidewalk-incursion and park-intrusion before you go, “Eh, that again? I no care anymore. Boring.”
Mayor Kirk Caldwell does many things right, but this so wrong that we should yearn for the Frank Fasi days despite Fasi’s occasional problems and oversized ego. Peter Carlisle and Mufi Hannemann suffered the Waikiki sidewalk artists and musicians, and (with brief exceptions) the homeless in our parks.
Caldwell hasn’t touched Waikiki street vendors.
Housing First sounds good and works in some Mainland cities. Likely not where park-dwellers can get a cheap one-way ticket to no-winter-Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park and rarely be rousted.
Not just the homeless problem. Around Oahu Tours and even 24 Hour Fitness set up and obstruct the Waikiki sidewalk. Maybe retailers should move out there next. Why not? The City has not prosecuted anyone except Occupy Honolulu because it publicly taunted it at Ward Avenue and King Street, and Thomas Square (now a homeless site.)
I agree arrests of homeless are not a solution. A “place of refuge” might be. Perhaps the old Oahu Railway property in Iwilei near the homeless shelter?
But not our children’s parks, such as Paki.
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