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EDUCATION FOR A FREE NATION
105 Peavey Rd, Suite 116, Chaska, MN 55318
952-361-4931 www.edwatch.org - edwatch@lakes.com

April 4, 2006

EdWatch Testimony before the
Senate Education Policy Committee
SF 2994, Article 2

Mr. Chaiman and members, EdWatch opposes the inclusion of International Baccalaureate in Article 2, and we request that the money be allocated entirely for Advanced Placement. Costs for implementing Advance Placement are significantly lower than IB, and AP should not have to compete with IB for funds. We oppose IB for the following reasons:

1. International Baccalaureate (IB) is an international system of education. It is run by a non-governmental organization called the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. IBO was organized in 1968 by European diplomats who wanted their children to have a common undergraduate program. In 1996, however, IBO formed a partnership with UNESCO in order to create what both UNESCO and IBO call an international education system. 
       
One of the IB World Schools web sites defines IB as follows:

What makes the program international?

IB programs exist in schools in 90 countries worldwide. Every spring, IB students around the world take identical exams on the same day in various subjects. These exams are sent to other parts of the world [after being sent to Geneva] for grading. [Grading] is based on an international standard.

IBO also says that students should be familiar with their own traditions, but the statement above clarifies that the IBO internationalist curriculum provides the framework from which American history and government will be evaluated.  

2. International Baccalaureate promotes world citizenship. Dr. Ian Hill, Deputy Director of IBO, has said that the goal of IBO is the promotion of world citizenship. [http:/www.ibo.org] Either United States citizenship or world citizenship must have priority in our education program. Which will it be?  IB gives priority to world citizenship.

3. International Baccalaureate endorses the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR]. This endorsement is affirmed in the IBO article Myths and Facts.

4. By endorsing the UDHR, IBO has agreed to promote the United Nations along with the actions and treaties of the United Nations [UDHR Article 26, paragraph 2, states, Education shall further the activities of the United Nations ]. IBO promotes the actions and treaties of the UN even though many of these actions and treaties have not been approved by, or ratified by, the United States. Such treaties not ratified by the United States include the Biodiversity Treaty, the Treaty on the Rights of the Child, Agenda 21, the Kyoto Treaty and the Treaty establishing the United Nations International Criminal Court.

5. By endorsing the UDHR, IBO promotes the United Nations as the highest court of appeals on issues of human rights. UDHR states: These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations [article 29, paragraph 3].

6. By endorsing the UDHR, IBO undermines the foundational principle of the United States that human rights, such as the rights to life, liberty and property, are God-given and inherent, as is stated in our Declaration of Independence. The issue is which has greater standing and authorityour God-given, inalienable human rights, or the policies of a particular government. The Declaration of Independencethe philosophical foundation of the United States, insists on the former. The UDHR insists on the latter; stated, once again, as follows: These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations [article 29, paragraph 3].

Amendment X of our Bill of Rights assumes that the rights in our Bill of Rights are inherent and inalienable, as is directly stated in the Declaration of Independence. For that reason, IBO is contrary to Amendment X of our Bill of Rights, and therefore undermines all ten amendments that make up our Bill of Rights.

7. IBO endorses the Earth Charter, a document that has not been ratified by the United States because it contains numerous provisions contrary to the nature and interests of the United States. By its endorsement, IBO agreed to the following endorsing statement:
We, the undersigned, endorse the Earth Charter. We embrace the spirit and aims of the document. We pledge to join the global partnership for a just, sustainable, and peaceful world and to work for the realization of the values and principles of the Earth Charter. We pledge to join the Global Partnership in Support of the Earth Charter Initiative for a sustainable way of life AND urge all governments to endorse the Earth Charter.  http://www.earthcharter.org/endorse/]

The Earth Charter is housed in the Arc of Hope and advocates the following:
 
1. Redistribution of wealth between nations and within nations [Art. 10.a.]
2. Same-sex marriage [Art. 12.a.]
3. Spiritual education [Art 14.d.] which means education that sees the earth as a spiritual organism.
4. Military disarmament [Art. 16.d.&e.]
5. Creation of an international agency to make the Earth Charter binding on all nations [in The Way Forward action-plan.]

Many IB advocates deny that IB teaches the Earth Charter. IBO explicitly states, however, that IBO also promotes the Earth Charter. [Myths and Facts, p. 9]

8. Many of the IBO instructional materials are now being written, or overseen, by the UN. The IBO website says:
The Global Teaching and Learning Project of the UN in New York accepted an IBO tender to produce two teaching booklets about UN global issues. The project has been undertaken by the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and Assessment Centre in Cardiff using experienced curriculum writers from around the world, principally in IB World Schools, and having UN input and approval of the 20 units completed. They will be copyrighted by the UN, with acknowledgement to the IBO for its work, and disseminated to the governments of all member states for use in schools. The content of the booklets reflects the structure and philosophy of the IB programs [ http://ibo./partnerships/government/]
 
Conclusion: The foundational principles of the United States are summarized in the Declaration of Independence and are properly called the twelve pillars of freedom. The education philosophy of IBO as stated on its own website is contrary to all 12 of these Declaration principles and promotes a view of government and human rights that is contrary to the basic principles of the United States.  IB is un-American.

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