|Back to July Ed Reporter|
|NUMBER 210||THE NEWSPAPER OF EDUCATION RIGHTS||JULY 2003|
International Baccalaureate Program:|
Training the Global Citizen
Parents say the IBP curriculum offers a combination of global indoctrination and political correctness, from the denigration of Western civilization to environmental extremism and promotion of the feminist agenda. Parent Jean Geiger of Reston, Virginia, told the Washington Times that her children "were forced" to participate in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP) designed for grades 6 through 10, at their school in Fairfax County.
Geiger wrote a Washington Times editorial (6-1-03) charging that "the IB program is a political agenda masquerading as an academic program." She stated that "for the last decade the International Baccalaureate Program of North America (IBNA) has been aggressively marketing its 'world-class' educational program to unsuspecting parents and students." She noted that the IBNA has plans to expand at a rate of 10% per year.
Geiger called the IBP "the perfect vehicle to implement U.N. goals," including "the subordination of national sovereignty" and the promotion of peace at all costs, including "the appeasement of dictators."
Homeschooling parent Charlene Sanders of Hot Springs, Arkansas also researched the IBP when it debuted in her local public schools two years ago. She summarized her conclusions in an opinion article for Sierra Times.com, pointing out that the IBO's principal founder, UNESCO, was itself founded by Fabian socialist Julian Huxley. Sanders compared language found on the IBO and UNESCO websites with that of Marc Tucker's notorious "Dear Hillary" letter, written on Nov. 11, 1992.
"The IBO's website uses a lot of high-sounding phrases such as 'high academic standards,' 'life-long learners' and 'informed participants,' " Sanders noted. Its 1996 mission statement reads: "Beyond the intellectual rigor and high academic standards, strong emphasis is placed on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship, to the end that IB students may become critical and compassionate thinkers, lifelong learners, and informed participants in local and world affairs, conscious of the shared humanity that binds all people together while respecting the variety of cultures and attitudes that makes for the richness of life."
A UNESCO report entitled Worldwide Action in Education refers to a "seamless" education system "aimed at two essential goals":
"1. Socialization: Education . . . for all the world's citizens . . . is essential because education is the principal means for preparing people to participate effective-ly in the development of their communities . . ."
"2. Training for a global workforce: Education must prepare the citizens of today to live and work . . . in a world in which the only constant will be change."
Sanders observed that Tucker's letter refers to education as "a seamless web" and talks about "restructuring" and the "reconstruction of society," concepts promoted by the IBO and UNESCO.
"Objectives," page 5, reads: "Comparison . . . [D]emonstrate an awareness of the social and cultural aspects of the lives of different peoples. [M]ake cross cultural comparisons and generalizations. [D]emonstrate a sensitivity to the selective weight given to female and male voices in ethnographic accounts. [D]emonstrate a sensitivity to general sources of inequalities, oppression and exploitation in social life."
The IB History teacher's guide emphasizes "colonialism, exploitation, and independence movements." According to the Times reporter, "a snippet from page 26 of the 'History of the Americas' high-level syllabus details what students study locally," including:
"Women, indigenous peoples and minorities in the Americas in the twentieth century;
"It's difficult to get your arms around this program," the Times reporter explained, "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."
A 1999 newsletter on the UNESCO website reveals more about the IBO and its programs. According to the newsletter: The IBP aims "to promote peace, human rights and democracy . . . recognize the right of access to opportunities . . . accept the interdependence of human beings within a global framework . . . accept the need to educate responsible citizens respectful of other cultures and the need to resolve conflicts peacefully." Other statements refer to making students "aware of their responsibility towards their social and physical environments to ensure a world with a sustainable future" and to the development of "a critical conscience towards technological and social change and the possible consequences of such changes . . ."
Kjos pointed out that while the IBP indoctrinates participating students with "the global beliefs and values of a world citizen, it also helps choose the leaders of the 21st century. Only a select group of adaptable and compliant students are admitted to some of the IB schools. So much for social equity and equal opportunity!"
It is unlikely that the IBP's curriculum will ease the minds of concerned parents. As Jean Geiger described in her Washington Times editorial: [The IBP] "is now in place at eight Fairfax County high schools and three middle schools, and plans are being made to place IB in elementary schools. The Fairfax County School Board never discussed or voted on the implementation of IB during any school board meetings that were open to the public, even though it was a monumental change in the curriculum. As is the case in many school districts across the United States, the majority of principals, teachers, parents, and students had no real voice in this process."