3. My opinion about coherent national or cultural identity in education
In this case I can say that for a one hand are two sides and the best way how to balance is by doing everything with moderation. If the national identity in education is not too forced and controlling, then it’s really effective to promote patriotism, corporate people in one unity. By promoting these effects people would share a common identity and destiny, which is good for education too. In my own school in Latvia educators was making emphasis on patriotism in schools. In history lessons we needed to learn our Latvia’s national symbols, nation history, culture, but it wasn’t like they wanted to change our minds or force their own opinion. But the difference between Latvia’s education and other country education, is that we are democratic state, but for example Palestinian, Nigeria, China, Hong Kong are not democratic states, so the rules there are more different and mostly more straighter in education, than in democratic countries.
It causes a lot of problems when the national or cultural identity comes a way too dictatorial, controlling. Such policy is going to evoke forced religion, opinion in schools, oppress minorities, increase militarism and discriminate women. Another problem that is going to appear in dictatorial national identity is assimilation. As an example in last character I mentioned Nigeria. In Nigeria’s policy assimilation is a tool, which attempts to put all different ethnic groups into one, where these ethnical groups drop their identity and incorporate in national identity. By doing this some specific cultural identities are denied as well they ethnical belonging, history, language, religion beliefs. Forcing assimilation in schools, policy is also forcing nation language, nation history, own cultural traditions, religious beliefs and so on.
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