When does education become indoctrination, become brainwashing

This came up in another thread where it was off topic, but it's a point that concerns me so I've started a new thread.

There are two questions I'd like to discuss:

1. At what point, if any, does a parent's right to teach their beliefs to their children conflict with the child's right not to have their mind placed in a mental straitjacket from which it may never escape?

2. If there is such a point what, if anything, should be done (by for example social services) to prevent permanent damage to the child's capacity for rational thought?

Here are a couple of extracts from the LDS Nursery Manual (PDF document):

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chapter 1 of the LDS nursery manual Song Sing or say the first verse of “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2): I am a child of God, And he has sent me here. Repeat two or three times, inviting the children to sing with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chapter 22 of the LDS Nursery Manual Song Sing the chorus of “Search, Ponder, and Pray” (Children’s Songbook, 109) and do the actions below. Invite the children to join you. Search, (pretend to open a book) ponder, (point to head) and pray (fold arms) Are the things that I must do. (point to self) The Spirit will guide, and, deep inside, (put hand on chest) I’ll know the scriptures are true. (point to head) Pictures Hold up the Book of Mormon. Tell the children, “This is the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon teaches us about Jesus.” Invite the children to say “Book of Mormon.” Open the Book of Mormon and place it in front of you. Display the picture of the Nativity (page 126 of this manual). Point to the Book of Mormon and tell the children that the Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus Christ came to earth. Display the picture of Jesus healing the Nephites (page 94). Point to the Book of Mormon and tell the children that the Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus healed people who were sick. Display the picture of Jesus blessing the Nephite children (page 22). Point to the Book of Mormon and tell the children that the Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus blessed the children. Conclusion Have the children say, “The Book of Mormon teaches me about Jesus Christ,” a few words at a time. Tell them that you know the Book of Mormon is true.

There's tons of this stuff, much of it drilling the children to repeat statements of the form "I know X" where X is unevidenced and in a few cases provably false. For me it isn't ever education, it starts as indoctrination and frequently crosses the line into brainwashing.

The response of the Mormon on the thread where this manual came up was:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Baxter (Post 11723029) Do you similarly condemn public school systems that "indoctrinate" young children to be patriotic and love their country?

Personally I'd say that any public school system that taught patriotism by encouraging the children to chant statements like "I know [insert name of country] is the greatest country in the world" was guilty of indoctrination. But then I think blind patriotism is almost as dangerous as blind faith.

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