Criticisms of Chavez's Education Act

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

On the education draft law currently debated in the Venezuelan National Assembly, and that was approved on first reading, we have the following criticisms:

1) It does not recognizes the individual facet of personhood: In the twenty-first century, a law that shapes the principles of a country's educational system, should include the training of citizens to develop their individual and collective faculties. However, this does not appear anywhere in the law and it puts all the weight towards the development of man in the social aspect, which is evidenced in the fact that the word "individual" appears only once in the whole document. Realities that give to the law a too collectivist tendency, typical of fascist/communist regimes that disregard the individual initiative.

2) It is Socialist: It says that Venezuelan education has as one of its goals to achieve the social happiness through "a new social production model" -art. 13, Section 9- Making clear reference to socialism. Besides, it talks about the socialization, ownership and preservation of knowledge in the society -art. 30- which may lead to ignoring copyright and intellectual property.

3) It is racist: It refers directly to what the Venezuelan government call education with an African descent and aboriginal vision -art 12- Excluding intentionally the identification with whites, Asians and other lineages. It should refer to all races.

4) It gives authority to commune councils to act as “educational agents”: In other words, according to art. 16, the political operators of the Chavez's regime would have the right and duty to proselytize in schools in favor of the government. This is because, in Chavez's Venezuela, commune councils are subsidiaries of the government party and are not elected by popular vote.

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