But Allen views them as the government's way to narrow career options by offering training in only a select few fields. Others share Allen's fear of a centralized state. They believe in an elite group who say we need more cosmeticians. To the activists, the U.S. government is pulling the strings. As proof, they note that New Jersey collects federal grant money for vocational education and that Congress has passed laws, such as Goals 2000, outlining objectives for schools in the next century.
Activists are worried about other issues as well.
Seriah Rein, president of the New Jersey chapter of Concerned Women of America, which funded protest meetings in Sussex and Somerset counties, cites eight education trends that she calls part of a government effort to re make society. New teaching methods are also sparking revolt. Schools today are focusing less on rote formula and more on reasoning and analysis, and teachers are less likely to penalize students for wrong answers if their approach is logical. Adams says education began to stray in the early 1960s, when the three R's were supplanted by lessons about self-esteem and values. Others fret that schools have turned from God by ignoring a religious perspective.