"Is Our Children Learning?"

I saw two movies in the past two days. The first was "Secret Life of Bees," and the second, "W."
In the latter, W, as he talked about education asked the question "Is Our Children Learning?"
This reminded me that not only should we be concerned about what our children learn, but we should be concerned about who is teaching them. How can "W" be a role model for anyone when he has no command of the language. I know many people in my early life with no command of the language, but the wisdom they had more than made up for that. W does not have that same wisdom, and certainly had, what many would think, a better "education" than most.
On the other hand, in "Secret Life,"the question did not have to be asked (and if it were asked, I am sure it would have been asked properly) because it was quite evident what lessons were being taught. Although I enjoyed the "bees" in the book, I saw the value of the emphasis on the civil rights issues which were also highlighted in the movie. Young people need the reminder of what it was like in l964. They need to see a black woman beaten for daring to vote. They need to see a young black man beaten for doing what he thought was right. Conversely, they need to see strong black women, owning their own business and, although different, loving one another.
Everyone needs to be reminded that, especially in the south, the bonds between blacks and whites were, in many ways, stronger than bonds in other parts of the country. Although these bonds did not come from seeing each other as equals, it did allow blacks and whites to know one another. Perhaps, only southerners, both black and white, actually understand that relationship.
When I saw "Secret Life." I did not have to ask "Is Our Children Learning," but when I saw W, I had to ask myself "Are W learning?"