#educationpolicy — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #educationpolicy, aggregated by home.social.
-
Texas: Faith, Freedom, and Mind Your Damn Business
By Cliff Potts, CSO
Editor-in-Chief, WPS NewsBaybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 4, 2026, 9:15 p.m. PHT
Texas talks about faith constantly and practices freedom inconsistently. Religion is waved like a banner while personal liberty is quietly narrowed, regulated, or punished when it doesn’t line up with political fashion. This contradiction has become so normal that many Texans barely notice it anymore.
Faith is not the problem. Power is.
Faith Is Personal, Not Administrative
Texas is home to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, meeting houses, and people who believe quietly or not at all. That pluralism is not a flaw. It is a fact. Faith has always been part of Texas life, but it has never belonged to the state.
When government begins enforcing one version of belief, it stops protecting faith and starts weaponizing it. That does not strengthen religion. It cheapens it. Faith that requires government backing is not faith—it is insecurity dressed up as authority.
People believe deeply without being coerced. The state does not need to supervise that.
Freedom Means Leaving People Alone
Texas politicians love to invoke freedom while inserting themselves into private decisions about bodies, families, education, and belief. That is not freedom. It is control wrapped in familiar language.
True freedom is not loud. It is boring. It is the quiet confidence that your neighbor’s life choices are none of your business unless they cause real harm. A free society tolerates disagreement without demanding conformity.
If a belief system is strong, it does not need the force of law to survive.
Religion in Schools Without Indoctrination
Teaching about religion is not the same thing as preaching it. Students benefit from understanding the beliefs that shape history, culture, and global affairs. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Indigenous traditions, and secular ethics all belong in a serious education.
Teaching one belief as truth while excluding others is not education. It is indoctrination. Texas should be confident enough to teach broadly without fear.
Knowledge does not weaken faith. It strengthens discernment.
The Myth of Moral Decline
Texas politics often leans on claims of moral collapse to justify intrusion into private life. These claims rarely hold up under scrutiny. Crime trends, family structures, and social behavior are influenced far more by economics, education, and stability than by religious enforcement.
Blaming social problems on belief differences avoids addressing harder causes like poverty, healthcare access, housing, and education. Moral panic is easier than policy work.
A serious state solves problems instead of sermonizing about them.
Faith Communities Do Real Work
Faith-based organizations are often the first to respond when communities struggle. They feed people, shelter families, provide counseling, and show up quietly without demanding credit. That work matters. It deserves respect and support.
What it does not require is political dominance. Faith communities are strongest when they act voluntarily, not when they are fused to state power.
Service speaks louder than slogans.
Freedom of Conscience Cuts Both Ways
Freedom of religion includes the freedom not to believe. It includes the freedom to change beliefs. It includes the freedom to practice quietly without public approval. Protecting conscience means accepting outcomes you may personally dislike.
That is the price of liberty. It is also its strength.
Texas cannot claim to honor freedom while punishing people for living differently.
When Government Picks Winners
History offers no shortage of warnings about governments that decide which beliefs are acceptable. Even when intentions begin as sincere, outcomes tend toward exclusion, resentment, and abuse. Texas is not immune to that pattern.
Keeping church and state separate does not weaken either. It protects both from corruption.
Personal Faith, Public Restraint
Leaders are allowed their faith. They are allowed to be guided by conscience. What they are not allowed to do is impose that conscience as law when it infringes on the rights of others.
Restraint is not betrayal. It is maturity.
What a Confident Texas Would Do
A confident Texas would protect freedom of worship for everyone and freedom from coercion for everyone else. It would teach religion academically, not devotionally. It would trust families and individuals to handle belief without supervision.
Most of all, it would stop confusing moral authority with legal power.
Why This Matters Going Forward
Faith will continue to shape Texas culture. That is not in question. The question is whether it will be used to inspire service and compassion—or to justify intrusion and control.
Freedom survives only when people mind their own damn business.
Texas is strong enough to do that.
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
#churchAndState #CivilLiberties #educationPolicy #personalFreedom #religiousFreedom #TexasPolitics #TexasReligion #WPSNews
Pew Research Center. (2025). Religious diversity and belief in the United States.
First Amendment Center. (2025). Religion, government, and constitutional boundaries.
National Council of State Legislatures. (2025). Religious freedom and public policy analysis.
Gallup. (2025). Public attitudes toward religion and government.
American Academy of Religion. (2025). Teaching religion in public education. -
New York City Bans Generative AI for Public School Students Through Eighth Grade
New York City’s public school system, the largest in the country, announced this week it will bar students from prekindergarten through…#ArtificialIntelligence #EducationPolicy #NewYorkCity https://beezloop.com/new-york-city-bans-generative-ai-for-public-school-students-through-eighth-grade/
-
Free Buses, Dark Screens
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the principals of New York City's public schools opened a memo from the Education Department. The free T-Mobile internet service built into 350,000 student Chromebooks would end that Sunday, August 31. Classes begin September 10. Four days of warning, ten days of scramble, and then the school year opens on machines that still power up, still glow, and can no longer reach anything. The laptop survives. The world inside it has been repossessed. During the pandemic the city handed out some 725,000 devices and never tracked how many still function; the Chromebook program was the sequel, the do-over, the one arriving with a plan attached. The plan lasted a year. […] -
Free Buses, Dark Screens
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the principals of New York City's public schools opened a memo from the Education Department. The free T-Mobile internet service built into 350,000 student Chromebooks would end that Sunday, August 31. Classes begin September 10. Four days of warning, ten days of scramble, and then the school year opens on machines that still power up, still glow, and can no longer reach anything. The laptop survives. The world inside it has been repossessed. During the pandemic the city handed out some 725,000 devices and never tracked how many still function; the Chromebook program was the sequel, the do-over, the one arriving with a plan attached. The plan lasted a year. […] -
Free Buses, Dark Screens
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the principals of New York City's public schools opened a memo from the Education Department. The free T-Mobile internet service built into 350,000 student Chromebooks would end that Sunday, August 31. Classes begin September 10. Four days of warning, ten days of scramble, and then the school year opens on machines that still power up, still glow, and can no longer reach anything. The laptop survives. The world inside it has been repossessed. During the pandemic the city handed out some 725,000 devices and never tracked how many still function; the Chromebook program was the sequel, the do-over, the one arriving with a plan attached. The plan lasted a year. […] -
Free Buses, Dark Screens
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the principals of New York City's public schools opened a memo from the Education Department. The free T-Mobile internet service built into 350,000 student Chromebooks would end that Sunday, August 31. Classes begin September 10. Four days of warning, ten days of scramble, and then the school year opens on machines that still power up, still glow, and can no longer reach anything. The laptop survives. The world inside it has been repossessed. During the pandemic the city handed out some 725,000 devices and never tracked how many still function; the Chromebook program was the sequel, the do-over, the one arriving with a plan attached. The plan lasted a year. […] -
Free Buses, Dark Screens
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the principals of New York City's public schools opened a memo from the Education Department. The free T-Mobile internet service built into 350,000 student Chromebooks would end that Sunday, August 31. Classes begin September 10. Four days of warning, ten days of scramble, and then the school year opens on machines that still power up, still glow, and can no longer reach anything. The laptop survives. The world inside it has been repossessed. During the pandemic the city handed out some 725,000 devices and never tracked how many still function; the Chromebook program was the sequel, the do-over, the one arriving with a plan attached. The plan lasted a year. […] -
Von Galen is falling into oblivion – the AfD policy of anti-inclusion
-
Von Galen is falling into oblivion – the AfD policy of anti-inclusion
-
Von Galen is falling into oblivion – the AfD policy of anti-inclusion
-
Von Galen is falling into oblivion – the AfD policy of anti-inclusion
-
Von Galen is falling into oblivion – the AfD policy of anti-inclusion
-
Mathematics is the canary in the coal mine of any education system: It's a delicate pyramid that crumbles if the base is not strong.
Using IMO results, here are the countries that improved most from 2006 to 2026 and those that declined the most. Using rank percentile within each year’s field:
Most improved
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: 2.2% → 69.8% (+67.6pp)
🇲🇾 Malaysia: 22.5% → 83.6% (+61.1pp)
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan: 14.6% → 70.7% (+56.1pp)
🇧🇩 Bangladesh: 11.2% → 67.2% (+56.0pp)
🇮🇳 India: 61.8% → 94.8% (+33.0pp)Biggest declines
🇲🇩 Moldova: 91.0% → 55.2% (−35.8pp)
🇮🇹 Italy: 87.6% → 68.1% (−19.5pp)
🇫🇮 Finland: 57.3% → 39.7% (−17.6pp)
🇩🇪 Germany: 96.6% → 83.6% (−13.0pp)
🇹🇼 Taiwan: 89.9% → 80.2% (−9.7pp)#Mathematics #MathEducation #Education #STEM #IMO #InternationalMathematicalOlympiad #MathOlympiad #EducationPolicy #Learning #AcademicExcellence #DataVisualization #EducationResearch #GlobalEducation #SchoolEducation #STEMEducation #ProblemSolving #Innovation #FutureSkills #StudentSuccess #EducationalDevelopment #MathematicsMatters #Statistics #GlobalRankings #India #SaudiArabia #Malaysia #Bangladesh #Kyrgyzstan #Finland #Germany
-
DATE: July 12, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: School smartphone bans save time but don’t improve student mental health, study finds
Restricting smartphone use in secondary schools may save staff time and money, but it does not appear to meaningfully improve pupils’ quality of life or mental well-being, according to a study published in BMJ Mental Health.
Schools around the world are increasingly restricting phone use. The hope is that limiting access to smartphones during the school day will reduce distractions, improve behavior, protect students from online harms, and support learning. Some schools ban phones from the premises, while others require students to keep them switched off in bags, lockers, or pouches.
However, the evidence behind these policies remains mixed. Previous research has suggested that restrictive policies may reduce phone and social media use during school hours. However, broader benefits for mental health, physical activity, sleep, and academic outcomes have been harder to demonstrate.
To investigate this, a team led by Samuel J. Perry of the University of Birmingham conducted an economic evaluation of school smartphone policies in England. The study included 815 students aged 12 to 15 from 20 secondary schools in the main complete-case analysis. Thirteen schools had restrictive policies, meaning recreational phone use was not permitted during the school day, while seven had permissive policies, meaning recreational use was allowed at certain times or in certain places.
The researchers estimated costs from the school’s perspective. This meant they focused mainly on staff time spent implementing and enforcing phone rules, such as monitoring behavior, recording incidents, contacting parents, applying sanctions, and speaking with pupils. They then converted this time into costs using staff salary estimates.
Pupil outcomes were measured using two health economics measures. One was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), which combine quality and length of life. The other was mental well-being adjusted life years (MWALYs), which focus specifically on mental well-being.
The findings were striking in two ways. First, there was little difference in pupil outcomes. Compared with permissive schools, restrictive schools had a very small estimated gain in QALYs and a very small estimated loss in MWALYs. Both estimates were uncertain and close to zero, meaning the study did not provide strong evidence that restrictive policies improved or harmed pupil well-being.
Second, both types of schools spent a large amount of staff time managing phones. In restrictive schools, this amounted to about 3.1 full-time staff equivalents across a school year. In permissive schools, it was about 3.3 full-time staff equivalents. The researchers noted that while staff in restrictive schools appeared to spend less time monitoring phone-related activities and completing administrative duties, they spent more time applying behavioral sanctions for breaches of the phone policy, such as detentions and parent communication.
Restrictive policies were estimated to cost £94 less per pupil per school year, though this estimate was also uncertain. At commonly used cost-effectiveness thresholds, the researchers estimated that restrictive policies had about a 90% probability of being cost-effective when QALYs were used as the outcome. The probability was closer to 50-60% when using MWALYs.
“There are unlikely to be differences in pupils’ mental health and well-being outcomes in adolescents attending schools with a restrictive or permissive smartphone policy,” Perry and colleagues summarized. “Restrictive phone policies could offer small economic benefits to schools by reducing the amount of time school staff spend managing pupil phone-related behaviors.”
Some caveats are to be noted. For instance, the study was observational, meaning it did not track schools before and after they enacted restrictive policies, so it cannot prove that the policies caused the cost differences. Also, cost estimates relied heavily on reports from one senior staff member per school, which may not perfectly capture what staff actually do day-to-day. Finally, outcome data were limited to one or two assessment periods, which were assumed to approximate the school year, challenging the internal validity of the study.
The study, “Health economics analysis of restrictive school smartphone policies in secondary schools in England (SMART Schools),” was authored by Samuel J. Perry, Victoria A. Goodyear, Miranda Pallan, Peymane Adab, Sally Fenton, Maria Michail, Paul Patterson, Amie Randhawa, Alice J. Sitch, Matthew Wade, and Hareth Al-Janabi.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SchoolSmartphones #EducationPolicy #MentalHealth #MWALYs #QALYs #SmartphoneBan #StudentWellbeing #CostEffectiveness #SecondarySchools #BMJMentalHealth
-
< 15 days 'til #OEAwards25 nominations close
Dig deep – nominate deserving unexpected, or unusual open education people and projects … e.g. this #OEAward19 winner:
🏅 >> Iniciativa Educação Aberta << created by UNESCO Chair in Distance Education / Educadigital Institute
🌱 Sow the seed today! https://twp.ai/NTSz5R
#DigDeep #ExcellenceInDiversity #OEAwards #OEAwardWinners #OpenEducation #OER #OpenPolicy #EducationPolicy #Brazil #OELATAM