Former U.S. congressman Ron Paul, R-Texas, may have given up on legislating, but his fight for economic and civil liberties kicked into high gear over the weekend, with the announcement of a new home school curriculum, offering parents and their kids an education in liberty like no other.
The curriculum aims to provide a comprehensive, K-12 education in Austrian free-market economics and American history, geography, and constitutional law.
Here, students learn the basics of Western civilization and Western liberty -- how it was won, how it is being lost, and how it will be restored, according to the new website, www.RonPaulCurriculum.com.
Paul, in a statement heading the website, says the curriculum is based on four pillars:
* Liberty vs. coercion in Western history.
* How to defend the freedom philosophy.
* What it takes for success in college.
* How to start a home business.
The curriculum also includes lessons in science and mathematics.
In a short video announcing the project, economic historian Gary North explains that the curriculum will teach students the biblical principle of self-government and personal responsibility, and will explore the history of liberty and libertys rivals. Students will also learn how the Constitution has been hijacked by liberal lawmakers and judicial activists.
And the program, available for grades K-10 beginning Sept. 2, will be cheap. The first six years of materials, covering grades K-5, will be offered free, so parents have six years to try out the program without having to spend a dime, explains historian and economist Tom Woods in a blog on his website. Woods himself is teaching the high school courses on Western civilization, the Constitution, American government, and the history of America's wars.
For the other grades, 6-12, each course will cost just $50, and $250 gets parents and students access to special online discussion forums. And there are no textbooks: students are taught using primary source documents available online or as PDFs.
For people wondering what Ron Paul has been up to since retiring from Congress, then, heres your answer, Woods tells his readers. This, I am convinced, will prove to be Ron Pauls most significant contribution to the cause of liberty -- and thats saying something.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at (954) 235-9116.
