No Comment Necessary: Texas GOP's 2012 Platform Opposes Teaching "Critical Thinking Skills" Via Talking Points Memo The Republican Party of Texas's 2012 platform has a plank on "Knowledge-Based Education" that reads: 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. It also says, "[e]very Republican is responsible for implementing this platform." They say it was a mistake, but it will remain in place until 2014.