Vol. 10, No. 5, 1993

Articles on the New Age

Over the past decade, parents across America have been lulled into passivity by a fish. However, this aquatic species is no Charlie the Tuna or Flipper the Dolphin. Rather, this slippery creature is called DUSO and it lives in the minds of Elementary school age children. Perhaps it lives in the mind of your child.

Like every other New Age/affective/nondirective program being implemented into the American Education system, DUSO (Developing Understanding of Self and Others) relies heavily upon relaxation techniques, guided fantasies and the misguided delusion that children will always make the right choice if they are given enough self esteem.

In the new Teacher's Guide for DUSO several incredibly fascinating and revealing statements are made. Notice the following:

"A new guided fantasy activity is included with each goal. These relaxation and imagination exercises build on students' natural attraction to make-believe experiences and increase their awareness of their own creative ability. The recording `Aquatron Adventure' includes a relaxation exercise and musical background for the guided fantasies."

A few pages later, under the heading Guided Fantasy Activities, the manual explains, "Following a brief introduction, the teacher asks the children to find a place on the floor where they can lie down or to put their heads down on their desk. The Sophie puppet is used with the recording to present a relaxation exercise" (DUSO Revised 1, pp. 8, 19).

Do parents really send their children to school to have the child's make-believe ability enhanced or to learn relaxation exercises? What do guided fantasies have to do with quality education?

The Teacher's Guide continues with this frightening statement, "Elementary education, by virtue of its objectives, must plan for the development of the whole child. `Education can no longer proceed on the assumption that when content is presented through interesting methods, the student will become involved, and the problems of delinquency, rebellion and apathy will be reduced dramatically. Instructors who do not get in touch with the whole being of students will not be able to meet the challenges of education and are destined to fail.'" (DUSO, p. 13).

The whole child? Would this include the spiritual aspect of the child as well as the intellectual aspect? It certainly must, for DUSO is concerned with the whole child.

Don Dinkmeyer, the author of DUSO warns the teachers in this statement that they can no longer simply teach in an interesting way. That method is no longer valid. Rather the teacher must either become involved with the child's whole being or they will fail as a teacher. Again, it must be asked, do parents send their children to school in order to have them receive spiritual instructions?

One of the most terrifying aspects of DUSO is its rampant replacement of standard curriculum. Under the heading Curriculum Integration of DUSO-1(R) Activities is stated, "The DUSO-1(R) program can be used in classroom curriculums in a variety of ways. The Chart of Curriculum-Related Activities included in the kit lists the DUSO-1(R) goals and shows where activities are included to complement these areas: art, careers, dramatic play, language, math, music, nutrition, physical education, relaxation, science, social studies, and story time" (DUSO, p. 25, emphasis mine).

Is DUSO really recommending that rather than simply studying language, the teacher should request the children to lay their heads on the desk and relax? No child really likes math, so use DUSO. Rather than studying the basic food groups, teach the children about a fantasy place called Aquatron. Do not make the children run and play in physical education class, thus becoming hot and sweaty, simply lay them on the floor and have them relax. Obviously there is no need to teach them science when fantasy is easier. Certainly social studies has become a politically incorrect subject, thus simply speak about DUSO the Dolphin and Sophie.

Is this real education?

The answer is yes. At least it is affective education. The Teacher's Guide explains, "As teachers become more skilled in affective education, their relationship with children improve, and children become more involved in the learning process. The classroom teacher is in the best position to be the affective educator" (DUSO, p. 28).

What is affective education? Simply stated, it is the idea that if the teacher can teach the student to feel good about themselves then the student will always make the right decision. But what is the right decision? For in the affective educational approach there is no such thing as right and wrong. It is not what the child chooses to do that determines the correctness of the decision but rather simply that the child chooses to do that makes the decision right. While this theory may sound great to some, it has one minor problem. It does not work. Other than this one seemingly insignificant glitch, everything is great!

In a San Diego newspaper, under the headline Parents should give informed consent for disputed classes some interesting insights were given.

"DUSO is a program developed by Don Dinkmeyer, Ph.D., in 1970. Essentially, it is a concept that encourages a child to explore his inner self, to relax by meditation, and to acquire fantasy companions to help guide him through life's stresses. It involves group dynamics where children reveal their inner thoughts and conflicts. Group consensus is a goal of DUSO's nondirectional approach. Most critically, feelings are esteemed over facts.

"There are no absolute values in DUSO, no definitive right and wrong. Morality is fluid, depending on situational dynamics" (The Californian, 28 March 1991).

Notice what was said in this synopsis? The child is encouraged to go inside themselves for the answers to their problems rather than seeking out adult advice. The group therapy spoken of is similar to psychotherapy, a technique in which very few (if any) Elementary teachers are trained. Perhaps the most destructive aspects of DUSO are the ideas that feelings are more important than facts and that there are no absolutes. Thus, if the child feels like doing something - despite what the facts would dictate to be best - the DUSO approach would instruct the child to follow their feelings.

For years, DUSO the Dolphin has sloshed its way into the minds of children throughout America. It has taught them to relax by guided fantasies, to look inward for the truth and to follow their feelings. Is this really the type of education that parents are hoping their children are receiving in the American educational system?