Most classrooms were probably not built to provide an opportunity for teachers and professors to stand as political preachers and give a sermon according to the gospel of their affiliated political party. However, this is sometimes the manner for which it is used.
I understand that everyone has opinions. I’m writing one right now. I also understand how difficult it is for us to put our biases aside, as our beliefs govern almost everything that we say and do.
There is no legitimate reason that I can think of, however, that it should ever be necessary for a teacher’s personal political opinions to be presented in the classroom. Even in classes that closely relate to politics, such as political science or economics, it’s not the opinions that matter. It’s the facts.
Learning and research should always be performed under the principle of objectivity. By projecting personal opinions to a group of students, a teacher undermines the very nature of academia. Students are taught what to think instead of how to think.
Facts and information should be the only things presented in the classroom. If politics relates heavily to the subject being discussed, and if all of the facts inevitably validate one political policy over another, those facts are all that is necessary. If a teacher’s opinion is so grounded in logic, then any sensible student will come to the same conclusion when presented with this information, or at the very least consider a different perspective.
We students are here to learn and progress in our respective fields of study. Political preaching does nothing to advance that purpose and only serves to bring to question the validity of the information presented.
Teachers who must unleash their frustrations regarding the Democrats or the Republicans would do better to send a letter to the editor rather than burdening students with irrelevant opinions.