On April 24, the Texas House of Representatives passed Texas Senate Bill 2, designed to create a $1 billion education savings account program. While some believe this will benefit the Texas education system, others have outwardly criticized it, saying it’s going to create a school voucher system favoring wealthy citizens and private schools.
Political debates have become aimless because everyone always believes they’re right. Without even trying to peek over the other side, they throw rocks over the mile-high fence they’ve built against it. However, education in Texas has always been a point of interest for me because I’ve experienced all sides of it.
When I moved to America, I first went to a Christian private school. Shifting from eastern to western culture isn’t so easy, but being integrated into a system that was willing to help me get accustomed to the education style and learning tendencies of the people here was beneficial.
Through teachers who were willing to work with me and administrators who saw the talent I had, I grew as a student. I had tutors who caught me up to the education level of others, as well as school resources that allowed me to do well.
And I didn’t just do well: I excelled.
Multiple “best student” awards and various accolades were showered upon me in elementary and middle school. That talent that they saw blossomed into something beautiful. I was able to represent that school in all I did, a repayment for all the hard work they put into me.
Then, I moved to a public high school. This switch was greater and more difficult than the one I had when I moved to America.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have the same resources as my previous private school had, which severely inhibited my learning abilities. All the focus and care I previously had dedicated to myself were now absent.
People who support school vouchers cite this and claim it’s a downside. I beg to differ.
In public schools, you’re taught to think critically; you have to look at what you’re learning and assess its validity. And private schools simply don’t teach this. In public school, I had to relearn the learning process, and ultimately it helped me as a student — much more than if I had stayed in a private school.
What the teacher said in private school was always right, and I was never able to question it. Obviously, this made sense to me because I was a child, and how was I supposed to know any better? The problem is that they would use the Bible to validate everything. What started as “You shouldn’t hit Johnny because the Bible says so” quickly turned into something much more sinister.
I remember an advisor talking to me about the then-recently enacted Muslim travel ban and why it was good. I wholeheartedly agreed with her and what I thought was being done to try and stop terrorists from coming into the country, just because she claimed the Bible said so.
“It’s like cancer: In order to get the bad ones, you have to get everyone,” I told her.
Looking back, I can’t believe I said that. I immigrated from a predominantly Muslim country, how had I become so closed-minded and willing to withhold innocent people from coming to America?
This indoctrination became evident only after I left. These extreme, nationalist and heretical beliefs I held so closely to my heart only seemed unfair because of the people I met in public school.
One of my first friends in public school was a Muslim refugee. Having fled his country at a very young age, he settled in America and has gone to live a life much better than he would’ve otherwise. This encounter shaped who I am today. Two individuals who seemingly came from similar national backgrounds were affected by force-fed harmful narratives, which made me feel like we shouldn’t be friends due to differing beliefs.
While I’m thankful that I no longer think this way and have long remained friends with him, there are still people in private schools who are taught to observe everything they learn through a Biblical, not critical, perspective. People might look at the passing of SB2 as a means of financial gain for billionaires, but it’s not only that.
Without a widespread curriculum based upon critical and informed thinking, ideologies like the ones that influenced me can infiltrate impressionable children’s minds. While I was blessed enough to realize my faults, many won’t be able to do that. They will cling to these violent beliefs all their life, telling themselves this is right because it’s all they know.
I might disagree with these ideologies now, but I’m not necessarily saying they can’t be taught. You can teach your children anything you want — just not the government.
What will the Texas government stand on now? Will they create a new standard that’s uniform throughout all schools in Texas, including private schools, or will school choice allow something much more evil and dangerous to be taught?
Private schools have never had curriculum regulation, and this bill doesn’t change that. Using the money from the surplus budget for privatized education when it could be going towards an already failing public education system is a clear sign that our education is not of the utmost priority. Maybe this is what they wanted all along, for their beliefs to prevail.
I’m the product of both systems. And I’m sure you’ve had your experiences in our education system, too. It’s time to evaluate if the passage of this bill is the right step forward for our students.
Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
