Questioning the race, gender, green, multiculti orthodoxies is career ending for academics and professional staff. Students are ostracised if they do not toe the line.

Another example is Peter Ridd who was sacked from James Cook uni for abnormal views on the barrier reef and for misconduct. The judge said James Cook University had "not understood the whole concept of intellectual freedom".

You raise a lot of valid points.

While it is true that the education system is shaped and influenced by those in positions of power, it is important to recognise that higher education, particularly at the university level, is where the cultivation of critical thinking is most rigorously pursued. Universities serve as environments where individuals are not merely encouraged but required to challenge established ideas, question underlying assumptions, and engage with a diverse array of perspectives.

This, perhaps, explains the animosity directed towards such institutions by those who benefit from maintaining a population that is compliant and uncritical. Institutions that foster independent thought are viewed as threats by the very powers that would prefer a workforce of obedient, unquestioning individuals. Thus, they exploit societal divisions and label these bastions of intellectual growth with derogatory terms such as 'woke factories,' 'liberal indoctrination camps,' 'echo chambers,' and 'Marxist breeding grounds,' all as part of a broader strategy of control.

In fact, for students pursuing a science-based path even during their senior years of high school, the foundation for critical thinking is already being established. The emphasis shifts from rote memorisation to the comprehension of complex concepts, the resolution of intricate problems, and the formation of reasoned conclusions grounded in empirical evidence.

It is easy to criticise the system from a position of limited exposure, particularly if one’s education ceases at a more basic level. However, those who continue their education often acquire the intellectual tools necessary to not only see through propaganda but also to critically evaluate and interpret the world around them. Ironically, the same system that is often criticised is the very one that equips individuals with the cognitive framework to question its authority effectively. Higher education does more than impart knowledge,it teaches individuals how to think. And in that lies true empowerment.

The crux of the issue remains that higher education isn’t about dictating what to think but rather fostering the ability to think, to critically evaluate content and hone the skills necessary to distinguish fact from fiction.