Introduction

The term ‘indoctrination’ has, generally speaking, strong pejorative associations in current educational discourse. It is often contrasted with educational ideals like autonomy, open-mindedness and critical thinking, and is considered either morally objectionable or a necessary evil that ought to be restricted to highly specific contexts. Indoctrination is usually positioned as the antithesis of the sort of educational practices considered appropriate for a modern, liberal, democratic society.51 A wide range of subjects and practices have been tarred with the brush of indoctrination. In most cases, the term is used in a rather non-specific way, indicating some sense of inappropriate influence. For example, many journalists use the term in a very emotive way, referring to the blatant processes of persuasion associated with totalitarian regimes, or the ...