The newswires are going crazy with the news that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez “threatening” to close or take over schools that don’t allow the government to oversee their use of a new curriculum and textbooks.

“Society cannot allow the private sector to do whatever it wants,” said Chavez, speaking on the first day of classes.
All schools, public and private, must admit state inspectors and submit to the government’s new educational system, or be closed and nationalized, with the state taking responsibility for the education of their children, Chavez said

Seriously folks, how is this any different from here?

Oh I know , because it has that scary word socialism in it. Public schools here have to follow a strict No Child Left Behind Act standards or else risk losing money for basic services forcing schools to teach to standardized tests instead of actually teaching ::gasp:: critical thinking or something else useful. And those that cry “indoctrination”, what are schools here doing, with rote recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance and celebrating Columbus Day and Thanksgiving?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.