IB ­ education or indoctrination?

Guest Column

Where does the International Baccalaureate curriculum and philosophy for "world class" education come from? The flow of information through the International Baccalaureate Organization to students looks like this:

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ­ United Nations Agenda 21 (for the 21st Century) ­ The Earth Charter ­International Baccalaureate Organization ­ local school district ­ uninformed and unsuspecting parents and students.

UNESCO

The first Director General of UNESCO, Julian Huxley, clearly laid out UNESCO's educational scope: "A central conflict of our times is that between nationalism and internationalism, between the concept of many national sovereignties and one world sovereigntyŠ Specifically, in its educational program it can stress the ultimate need for world political unity and familiarize all peoples with the implications of the transfer of full sovereignty from separate nations to a world organization."

UNESCO has never deviated from this goal. That world organization is the United Nations. Students will learn that American nationalism is bad and internationalism is good and globalism under UN management is even better.

IBO/UNESCO connection

IBO operates as a non-governmental organization, funded by the Ford Foundation, Armand Hammer Foundation, New York Times, Exxon, Shell International, Andrew Mellon Foundation and many others. UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) is the parent organization of IBO. (Social Engineering for Global Change, Carl Teichrib, September 2004)

The United States withdrew from UNESCO for over 20 years because of its anti-American propaganda around the world. UNESCO classifies IB as "A Formal Consultative Relation as a Network." This is the UN's highest partner classification and obligates IBO, among many other things, to "contribute, by their activities, to the execution of UNESCO's program." (For directives on UNESCO's relations with non-governmental organizations, see http://portal.unesco.org)

UNESCO objectives

Benefits to the International Baccalaureate Organization are financial as well as participation at the highest levels in UNESCO. As "Task Manager" for Article 36 of UN Agenda 21, UNESCO uses the IBO network of schools to implement and report to the UN on the progress of their educational agenda.

Agenda 21 for "Sustainable Development" is 288 pages of UN guidelines for controlling and managing the earth (physical, social, economic and political) and all living creatures in the name of "sustainable development."

UN Agenda 21 states that "to be effective, environment and development education should deal with the dynamics of both the physical/biological and socio-economic environment and human which may include spiritual development should be integrated in all disciplinesŠ" (http://www.un.org)

The definition for "sustainable development" embraced by the UN originated with the UN's Brundland Commission. It states: "sustainable development" is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Compare this with Chapter 2, Article 18 of the 1977 Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: "In the interests of the present and future generations, the necessary steps are taken in the USSR to protect and make scientific, rational use of the land and its mineral and water resources, and the plant and animal kingdoms to preserve the purity of air and water, ensure reproduction of natural wealth, and improve the human development." (As quoted in Sustainable Development, Joan Veon, 2002 WorldNetDaily.com)

When you hear the words "sustainable development" think "control, through the necessary steps" by un-elected UN officials. UN empowerment can be achieved by "reorienting education for sustainable development" and preparing students for "world citizenship."

IBO/Earth Charter connection

UNESCO and IBO are signatories to the Earth Charter, committed to integrating its principles in education. Written by Mikhail Gorbachev, it is touted by some socialist organizations as the new "Manifesto of the 21st Century." (The Earth Charter: A Manifesto for the 21st Century by John Scull)

While seemingly benign in its utopian vision, the Earth Charter calls for the "redistribution of income among nations" (socialism), "reproductive rights" (abortion on-demand), "universal human rights" (not inalienable rights, but those granted solely by the State), "economic justice" (welfare state), "forgiveness of developing nations' debt," "gender equality" (adoption of the gay rights agenda), "disarmament" (elimination of the right to bear arms) and a "sustainable global society." These terms are not defined in the Earth Charter or by the IBO.

The Earth Charter ends by stating that "The nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development." (http://www.earthcharter.org/files/charter/charter.pdf)

Earth Charter objectives

The Earth Charter is being integrated into every IB course K-12 and in teacher training materials at all levels. These materials are primarily Internet based, and parents will not know whether the lesson plans are coming from the UN, the Earth Charter, or one of the other 2,000 non-governmental organizations under the UN banner.

IBO takes no responsibility for the Internet teaching materials they provide. They take no responsibility for the Internet links to other organizations. IBO employees screen hundreds of lesson plans and curriculum guides for teachers, knowing that teachers will find it easier to "grab" these lessons rather than develop their own.

Writing about IBO, a Washington Times reporter explained "It's difficult to get your arms around this program, because so much of what happens in class involves the use of teacher handouts and discussions. Except in Language (English), there are no prescribed books or textbooks." (The Washington Times by George Archibald, January 2004)

The Earth Charter is an earth-centered declaration which venerates global political-ethical-moral and spiritual unification. By promoting the Earth Charter and Agenda 21 the International Baccalaureate Organization has blurred the line between education, "political correctness," and propagandaŠ What they call "world class" education, most everyone else would call "socialism." (Social Engineering for Global Change, by Carl Teichrib, September, 2004)

Constructivism

Teachers are instructed to use only "open-ended questions" in lesson plans and class discussion. Diane Ravitch, education-research professor at New York University says this "constructivist" approach is an educator fad that has gone awry.

For a constructivist teacher, knowledge is not transmitted directly from one knower to another, but is actively built up by the learner. Teachers must never lecture or "tell," memorization is intolerable and up-to-date teachers view themselves as "facilitators" of learning. (Reported in the Washington Times, Jan. 18, 2004)

"Learning that appears democratic (rather than authoritative) and cooperative (in contrast to individual) is a key to winning the consent of the masses (students). All ages must participate, and every group member is accountable to the group ­ and to the politically correct facilitator who is responsible for moving the dialogue toward the 'right' choices and actions (the teacher)." (They Don't Always Come in Black Helicopters by Ken Anderson, February 2004, http://magic-city-news.com)

Education or indoctrination

The objective of IBO's "world class" education is to bypass our elected officials, placing policy-making authority in the hands of non-governmental agencies and professional bureaucrats. Empowering the U.N. and its global ideology is hidden behind traditional words like sustainability, holistic, multicultural, diversity, human rights, social justice, and homo faber.

IBO is not neutral with regard to political systems (European socialism) or religious issues (international humanism). It promotes UNESCO's objectives and the Earth Charter through IBO's "Network" of schools.

There is nothing wrong with the concepts of "sustainability," "constructivism," "open ended questions" or organizing education around "central themes." IB's middle and primary years programs are an outgrowth of the "outcomes based education" movement. However the "outcomes" represent a political and religious agenda that is more indoctrination than education.

Joseph Stalin said, "Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed." Abraham Lincoln said, "The philosophy of the schoolhouse in this generation is the philosophy of the government in the next generation."

The stakes are very high in K-12 education today and students, teachers, parents and School Board members need to research new school programs before they are implemented (especially their philosophy).

(All italics are author's emphasis.)