Critical Pedagogy as Brainwashing

Critical pedagogy, including woke education, social emotional learning, and critical pedagogy, is argued to be a form of brainwashing or thought reform. This controversial claim asserts that critical pedagogy, which integrates critical theory into education at all levels, is fundamentally designed to radicalize students and push a specific ideological agenda. The generative theme, a key component of critical pedagogy, is used to engage students emotionally, elicit a crisis of identity, and facilitate anti-oppressive change. This approach is seen as distinct from traditional education, focusing less on epistemic adequacy and critical thinking and more on power analysis and social activism. Educators are encouraged to draw students into crises and structure experiences to help them navigate and work through these crises productively, emphasizing skills of social emotional learning. The aim is to create a transformative learning environment that leads to social change and challenges existing power dynamics.