Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) | James Lindsay

The Marxification of Education Workshop, Session 4 of 4

The hottest buzzword in education today is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), but it's not just a buzzword. It's a huge program with almost universal installation (thanks to the Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA, of 2015) and billions upon billions of dollars behind it. What is it? Where did it come from? Should we trust it? To the last of these questions, there are excellent reasons to believe that we shouldn't. In fact, we shouldn't want it anywhere near our children and should fight vigorously to protect them from it. We should also see there's a huge scam operating within the installation of it and that some very questionable actors are strongly behind it, but for what reasons? Here, New Discourses Founder James Lindsay gives a deep, concerning, and thorough (but mere) introduction to the topic of Social-Emotional Learning in this last of four presentations on the Marxification of Education delivered in late July 2022 in Arlington, Virginia, on location in the now-famous Loudoun County, ground zero for the fight for America's schools.

© 2022 New Discourses. All rights reserved. #newdiscourses #jameslindsay #SEL

[jamespeterson]

I think it's worth noting that Connecticut has more politicians associated with communists than any other state.

[tidepride]

James your work is invaluable. Keep it going man.

[beezkneez]

God I was in education in a private school from 2016-2019 And I can confirm the systemic take over of this ideology that our director wanted to implement. I always found it strange at the time but thank you for taking the time to make the connections to the greater motives and players invloved in this movement.

[leonardticsay]

I need to stop listening to James right before I go to bed. This is abject nightmare fuel.

[cisnerosigonda]

Ever since I can remember grade school education has been swamped by "new" and "cutting edge" techniques for improving student learning, engagement, etc. But the fact of the matter is that kids get bored, are easily distracted, have "issues" they are dealing with from home. The things I remember from 3rd grade was the respect that we had for our teacher, the discipline of the clock on the wall, the questions we were proud to have the answers to, these were enough to keep the process moving together. Kids don't deserve to be "experimented" on to prove out an educational theory. And frankly teachers, most of which enter the profession with the best of intentions, don't deserve to be molded and undercut and threatened into performing grandiose social engineering. I think that simplicity and respect should be sufficient for out kids to learn. I remember one completely "experimental" year in 6th grade when we were told that we should all form countries and be part of a Model UN. The countries turned into clubs that were converted into forts built of cardboard boxes and we pretty much lost an entire year. Was it my most memorable year? Yes. But because it was that year we got to goof off for nine months. There is plenty of time at home to play and dream and be creative if you want to unlock that creative side of the brain.

[aliertufekci]

Pushing for more local control in education is such a great idea! So important. Thanks for what you do, James.

[andrewmayo]

I'm absolutely despairing over how much ESG is taught as gospel in my classes (I'm in a Commerce degree). I don't even think my profs know the evil they serve

[KD-rsxx]

I wrote my master's in ed thesis in 1992 on Critical Education, Paulo Friere, Henry Giroux, etc.
And now, as my career as an educator draws to a close at age 66, and I'd realized the dead-end of that thinking, I find my immature wish has come concretized in real time. Be careful what you wish for, people.

[malhenning]

in my industry (mining) there is already selection pressure by employees against ESG in companies. We all factor in woke policies as a negative when considering who to work for

[mikedodson]

Thanks James. I've been looking forward to this all day. With dread of course because I know you are about to explain in detail how our society is being dismantled. But still, I've been looking forward to it.

[jsonmedia]

The accreditations is the argument I've been making to my family. I'm homeschooling, they are all against it. My answer is teachers are being taught crap to teach kids. This is before I knew of SEL.

[betttrbeth]

My daughter is autistic. She graduated in 2019. I’m so grateful she didn’t like school and stayed home a lot. Thank God she missed a lot of indoctrination. She got enough though, she and I argue about politics and culture sometimes.

[jsonmedia]

The more I listen to James the more I wonder if the Amish had it right, & then the FDA goes after them.

[creepshyclw]

Something people are not talking about is how corporations are training our kids, who make it through the state owned learning centers, to connect their personal cell phones to company apps and resources then having them sign agreements that the company can search their personal phones. Not to mention training that the business is more important than the individual or their family. All while saying that the individual and their families are important to the company. The dialectic and dissonance is metastasizing. All that is left in my area are corporations. After the pandemic bankrupted most small businesses.

[jollyscholar]

What problem does SEL seek to address? We definitely have a generation or two of emotionally stunted people. What happened to them? The education system. So SEL is attempting to solve and accelerate the very catastrophe they created. Oh right, that's the point.

[arcticmentor]

Thank you James for teaching a Swede about this. Keep up the good work, you're actually making a difference! I could never have argued with people and tried explained things to them without you, Jordan Peterson, Gad Saad and a few others.

[dennisburns]

When there's no advertisement for a two hour video like this, you know it's gonna be a good one

[abramgaller]

Conscientization is easier than math, science, history, or foreign language!

[kurtsmith]

Keep fighting the good fight sir! I'm vigorously researching this topic. Just read The Marxification of Education. Feeling overwhelmed as my kid starts kindergarten next year. But I'm trying to be informed enough to fight against this indoctrination.

[heatherduncan]

Keep at it James. Love you for all the hard work you are doing.