Hidden Danger in the Classroom: Disclosure Based on Ideas of W.R. Coulson

Until mid 1989 I felt overwhelmed by the strength of entrenched power in education. Not until I read of psychologist W. R. Coulson's firsthand experience, research findings, and diagnosis did I see a spark of hope for America's schools. As a colleague who helped Carl Rogers introduce psychotherapy into the classroom, Coulson speaks with authority on this approach. At first an enthusiastic supporter, later a reluctant one, and finally an outspoken critic, Coulson now warns about behavior resulting from classroom probing of the inner life of the child. This harmful education is misdescribed by many titles: Decision making, vallue-free, life skills, choices, challenges. Though this education has many titles it retains its philosophy, methods, and peer-group work. it's misapplied to many topics and areas: death, depression, family life, conflict resolution, The harm is not in the topics but in this approach to them. It sometimes has brand names: Quest, straight talk, SMART, DARE, to name a few. Coulson sums up the matter like this: We can't afford to kid ourselves. Decision making education is deadly. It's not working. I defy anyone to show me research that children are better off than before. No one can.