Mark Robinson, the Republican Lt. Governor of North Carolina who is all but certain to run for governor in 2024, says in a new memoir that his agenda would include dropping science and history classes from elementary school.
If Robinson’s name doesn’t ring a bell, you may want to sit down for this. He’s a guy who, in the past two years, has said that forced religion in public schools could prevent mass shootings, that “transgenderism” and “homosexuality” amount to “filth,” that the trans movement is “demonic” and full of “Antichrist spirit,” and that straight couples are “superior” to gay ones.
When it comes to abortion, he’s been equally extreme, saying in a speech last summer that once a woman is pregnant, “it’s not [her] body anymore.” His campaign website made clear that, “As a Christian, Mark will honor the sanctity of life.” Oh—and you knew this was coming—Robinson himself has paid for an abortion because hypocrisy is the hallmark of his life.
Now he’s releasing a memoir, which is often a major step before announcing one’s candidacy. We Are the Majority: The Life and Passions of a Patriot isn’t scheduled for released until September 13, but WRAL News obtained an advance copy, and he makes clear he’s considering a gubernatorial run in 2024.
The biggest concern, however, would be his stated plan to decimate public education, something conservative Christians have been fantasizing about for decades, by eliminating certain core subjects from the classroom:
Robinson said he’d work to keep history, science and a number of other subjects out of first through fifth grade curricula and instead prioritize reading, writing and math.
“In those grades, we don’t need to be teaching social studies,” he writes. “We don’t need to be teaching science. We surely don’t need to be talking about equity and social justice.”
Robinson also reaffirms personal views on climate change that became a major issue in the 2020 election. “Guess what? Most of the people of North Carolina know global warming is junk science,” he writes.
He even adds, “We might see a mass exodus from the public schools entirely, and before you know it, traditional public schools might be a thing of the past.”
The idea that reading, writing, and math are more important than all other subjects, or indeed the only subjects that matter, isn’t just short-sighted and idiotic. It takes away the beauty of public schools, which is receiving a strong education about a variety of subjects before, eventually, specializing in certain ones (if that’s what you choose).
Tossing science off the list? Even Creationists don’t go that far. Mark Robinson seems to think a basic understanding of the world is part of a liberal agenda in school. He also doesn’t seem to recognize that science brings together those other subjects. Or that all of these core classes build off of each other. Honestly, he probably doesn’t even know what a “social studies” curriculum includes.
And it’s telling that a conservative Republican doesn’t want people learning about history. Realizing what our nation has done in the past isn’t a pretty sight and it contradicts the America Can Do No Wrong mentality that right-wingers typically have.
We haven’t even gotten into what’s unstated in all of this. Teaching only Math and English would deprive kids of art, music, physical education, and elective courses. And if Robinson’s fear is kids learning about equity and social justice, does he think those topics don’t pop up in the courses he prefers?
The irony is that the worst kinds of homeschooling (but certainly not all) do exactly what Robinson is demanding. They focus on the essentials while ignoring everything else.
Real knowledge involves knowing what you don’t know. Robinson wants his ignorance to become the basic curriculum for North Carolina. Whether or not he has the power to inflict his stupidity on children is besides the point. He’s openly stating his goals. He doesn’t want teachers or other educational experts deciding what students need to learn. He believes he’s the expert in everything, that the only book kids need is the Bible, and the only math they need involves the Trinity.
If the guy had a magic wand, students in North Carolina would be much dumber than they are today. That’s his vision for the future of the state, and conservative Christians are inevitably going to defend him.