Student Walkouts: When Activism Hijacks Education

Student-led walkouts weren’t always received favorably by the left.

When Civil Rights leaders in 1964 announced plans to organize a widespread student-led boycott of New York City schools to protest racial segregation and alleged inequality, the otherwise liberal New York Times Editorial Board denounced the tactic and accused its champions of having “a stubbornly closed mind.”

“What do they hope to prove with a boycott?” wrote the Old Grey Lady. “That children can be persuaded to stay out of school? What do they really hope to attain? We do not claim to know, but we do know that by their unreasonableness these civil rights leaders are going to alienate public opinion rather than win sympathy for their cause.”

They continued:

It is, under the circumstances, utterly unreasonable and unjustified. It is the violent, illegal approach of adult‐encouraged truancy. The children should be in school getting the best education they can to cope with a world in which they are bound to be at a regrettable disadvantage anyway.

In the 62 years since that massive walkout involving 464,361 pupils, the disruptive and counterproductive tactic has become a staple of radical protesters for all kinds of causes – most recently, to push back against the legal enforcement of the country’s immigration laws and policies.

Extremist operatives recognize that in far too many situations, America’s students are vulnerable prey and helpful tools for the spread of coercive and destructive ideologies.

For example, Colorado parents will want to know about a statewide “Walk Out for ICE Out” spectacle. As of Wednesday morning, the group “Libs of Tik Tok” is reporting that 71 schools are planning to participate.

That means thousands of students could feel pressured to go along to get along — and many will merrily oblige.

While the group organizing the protest hasn’t published a list of demands or clearly articulated what it hopes to accomplish by disrupting classes, similar protests have centered on opposition to the actions and policies of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the deportation of those who are here illegally.

To date, the Colorado organizing group has simply stated, “Students, we want your voices to be heard.”

Would that include those students who support government officials protecting our country’s borders? What about young women and men who don’t appreciate the public schools being co-opted by radical propagandists who are attempting to brainwash those who are still developing their ability to think critically for themselves?

Our friends at the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN) have created and published an excellent resource to help mothers and fathers talk with their child ahead of time about “protests, politics, and what they’re hearing at school.”

CPAN leads with a refreshingly blunt and clear-minded objective: Education should trump activism. They state, “Instructional time should prioritize academic learning and critical thinking, not political mobilization.”  They also note classroom lessons should be balanced and not driven by highly emotional rhetoric.

Although created for Colorado parents facing the bullying tactics of groups both outside and inside the school system, the resource has broad applicability for mothers and fathers of students everywhere. The group does an excellent job of offering suggestions for age-appropriate questions parents might ask their children during the school year:

Elementary age students: “What did you hear today?” “How did that make you feel?”

Middle school students: “What information might be missing (from the lesson)?”

High School students: “What’s the argument on the other side?” “Who benefits from this message?” “What facts can you verify?”

Sadly, radicals who target the nation’s public schools see students as pawns in their game. They capitalize on the “herd mentality” of many young people and exploit the willing and cooperative accomplices in public education systems.

Fathers and mothers must not cede their authority nor remain silent as radical activists attempt to flex their collective muscle in schools. Courageously, boldly and prayerfully, moms and dads can and must retain their parental rights and resist any and all efforts to hijack their God-given roles inside and outside the home.