The 2012 Texas Republican Party Platform opposes the teaching of critical thinking skills. We had to read that twice too.
Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.
They appear to oppose critical thinking being taught so that it doesn't undermine propaganda being instilled in them, to wit...
Early Childhood Development – We believe that parents are best suited to train their children in their early development and oppose mandatory pre-school and Kindergarten. We urge Congress to repeal government sponsored programs that deal with early childhood development.
Early childhood education is crucial to the future success of students, to ppose pre-school and kindergarten is extreme to say the least.
Is Texas an anomoly, or leading the way in rightward education thinking?
you decide, their platform document is below, with the education pieces starting on page 11