Ideology and Education

 The farce of an ideologically neutral curriculum

"That rule by unelected experts is supposed to be more legitimate and morally superior to rule by elected representatives just shows how anti-democratic our era really is."

For 'legitimate' and 'morally superior one could substitute 'rational' and 'sensible'. It is only the 'unelected experts' who will save us from this disastrous government and the irreparable damage their failed ideology will inflict on us. Rule by unelected experts may be 'anti-democratic', but it is far preferable to rule by this elected swill. 

"Ideology isn't a bad thing. Everybody's thought is shaped by ideology, whether they're aware of it or not. But it's ideology nonetheless."

Actually, historians and historiographers define an 'age of ideologies', beginning around the turn of last century and terminating with the end of the cold war. This age was characterised by genocides, wars, suppression, repressions and other events of ideologically driven slaughter, which made the wars of religion in Europe pale in comparison, although these were of course ideologically driven as well. So we can categorically conclude from this that 'ideology isn't a bad thing'.  

"The curriculum is explicit, open, and unabashed about its ideological content. It's not buried or implied. It's as bold as a billboard."

True. But the question is whether this 'ideological content'  is based on rationality and reason, backed up by evidence-driven facts and the behavioural consequences of these facts, or derives from myths created by ignorance, and blatant manipulation of the sources of information.

This question needs to be applied to every ideology to discern whether it 'isn't a bad thing' or not.

"The sustainability theme is intended to "[create] a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action". That's virtually the definition of ideology: a positive description (we are harming the planet) combined with a normative ideal of a better social order (an ecologically and socially just world)."

Yes, and ideology underlies all thought, and drives the national curriculum.

If only we had a curriculum which produces people able to identify and analyse ideologies.