From
Mona McNee
(See Europe
and the New World Order): You
can read the Hadow report or summaries on the web (just type 1931 Hadow
and search) and there is a useful link at
http://www.dg.dial.pipex.com/articles/educ27.shtml which twice
presents “famously” Recommendation No.30, that “the curriculum is
to be thought of in terms of activity and experience rather than of
knowledge to be acquired and facts to be stored.” Yet in the same
report it says children need a firm grounding in the Three Rs!
There is a useful
summary of events at
http://www.rrf.org.uk/newsletter.php?n_ID=153
So teachers should not
teach. Doctors should not heal the sick? Gardeners should ot tend
gardens??? Talk about “unintended consequences!” Perhaps one day I
shall find out why our book “The great reading disaster: reclaiming our
educational birthright” fell into 2007 like an unexploded bomb.
From George Cancilla:
I am responding to the article:
Home Schooling Found Unlawful by California Court of Appeal.
Compulsory attendance in
government schools is one of the planks of the Communist Manifesto. I can
understand the desire of parents to provide a “good” education for their
children, but I question the collective desire to force all in society to
have a “good” education; especially in a society shuch as the United States
which claims to be a free democratic republic.
Our children belong to God,
not the State. We are to render unto Caesar (the State) ONLY what is
Caesar’s. Children are a gift from God and He expects them to be raised in
the way in which they should go (in other words, according to Biblical
precepts). God makes education compulsory, but not
Comprehensive Sex
Ed Violates our Children necessarily in government, private, or
parochial schools.
In a free enterprise
economic system, it is important for citizens to be competitive, so it is
important that children be well educated and trained, so they may be
qualified to fill productive jobs in the society. Businesses as well will
be the best they can be in order to be competitive The State in this free
enterprise society has no incentive to be competitive because it exists as a
non profit organization. The quality and efficiency of its production is
not relevant to its existence. Therefore compulsory attendance in its
schools gives the State schools even less cause to excel in their
efforts.Compulsory education cannot legitimately be mandated by the State in
a laissez faire economic system, especially when that system is governed by
a democratic republic.
From
Marlene
Tobin:
The only reason for laptops in every
child's hands is to facilitate a GLOBAL CURRICULUM, taught exactly the same
around the world, tested exactly the same around the world, and eliminating
the teachers, and the local communities
remarks and standards. This was decided by Bill Gates and UNESCO years ago.
Global curriculum has been promoted for years,
and Gate's cheap computers will help move the project to completion. In the
meantime the IB
program is reaching out to students not yet in the global internet curriculum
system of brainwashing.
All other arguments for or against are of no consequence. The proof is in the
fact that wilh millions of computers already purchased for this program around
the world, there is not one single study that proves students learned better
using this device and at this expense.
That's a good
summary of what we were concerned about more than a decade ago,
Marlene. Thanks.
From
Jennifer:
As for the
Tucker Plan.
Science is faltering, too. They are dumbing down our kids. My 12 yr old
nephew told me the reason the sky is blue is because of the reflection from
the oceans. I had no idea why it is blue, but knew that answer was wrong and
very simplistic. Water looks blue because of the reflection of light going
through it. Found out the sky looks blue because of light reflecting through
oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. This might not be the complete
answer, as science has many unproven theories.
The point is children are being taught simplistic things in science, and
natural inquiry is not being encouraged.
From
Celeste C.:
I have homeschooled for about 7 years and have found my faith to
deepen because of the Christian curriculum that challenged my public school
education. With so many educated with this humanistic philosophy in our
public schools, I believe that many Christian youth and parents are being
deceived into group dynamics, group participation and global acceptance
using the techniques that were once only found in the public schools, but
now found in our church youth groups.
I totally agree with you,
Celeste! Thank you.
From Bill:
While in Colorado our oldest daughter
and our six year old son were attending a local public school. We had
noticed things on his report card that we considered odd, such as Conflict
Resolution. We became so curious as to what was going on with the education
system that we went to the Library at C. S. U. and found
Goals 2000 -- Educate America. We had copies made, and my wife spent
many days with a magnifying glass reading It's contents.
We were astonished with what we were reading. We
then looked for all the information we could get our hands on, and followed it
up to this point in time, and are still monitoring it. The American people would
be shocked to see that our education system is periled with the Soviet Education
System for a Global Education System.
My wife is now the Idaho
State President of Eagle Forum, a National Pro Family, Pro
Life, Conservative Organization of which Phyllis Schlafly is President. My wife
also is involved with our Legislators all year around keeping them up on the
issues which affect us both locally and nationally.
If the people would just open their eyes and get
involved with preserving our Godly Heritage, our God-given freedoms, and our
Constitution while we still have them, we, Americans, might -- by God's grace --
turn this country around and put it back on it's foundation: God! If we don't,
we will be serving a power that will be so merciless and evil that is beyond
comprehension. I often wonder what it will take for people in America to see the
devastation about to consume this country at the very hands of those we put in
Leadership.
"WAKE UP AMERICA, BEFORE IT'S TO LATE! "Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you, saith the Lord."
From
Debbie Niwa:
Here is a document containing
historical info on the International Baccalaureate Program as well as IB
curriculum philosophy.
Curriculum development and ethics in
international education
Ian HILL*
Disarmament Forum (2001)
http://www.unidir.org/pdf/articles/pdf-art53.pdf
Excerpt p. 51 -- Please note that IB
programs do not include education about a student's country's government
-- which I would expect to be an essential part of teaching kids about "their
own national identity". How are American IB students able to graduate without
taking a U.S. Government course? -- highlights added:
"The ingredients of intercultural
understanding have been nicely captured in the following statement by a
former Director General of the IBO:
... we require all students to relate first
to their own national identity -- their own language, literature,
history and cultural heritage, no matter where in the world this may be.
Beyond that we ask that they identify with the corresponding traditions
of others. It is not expected that they adopt alien points of view,
merely that they are exposed to them and encouraged to respond
intelligently. The end result, we hope, is a more compassionate
population, a welcome manifestation of national diversity within an
international framework of tolerant respect. Ideally, at the end of the
IB experience, students should know themselves better than when they
started while acknowledging that others can be right in being
different.
"We are concerned then with forming
attitudes and values. IB students give much time
to world issues, to the environment, to poverty and other human problems.
This is not only due to the general global approach of the
curriculum, but above all to the requirement of ongoing social service
among the community which is considered as important for the development of
the students as academic studies. In short, it is an education for life, a
responsible life, open to the problems of our world and
encouraging students to give time and energy to bring about
change.
Excerpt p. 52 -- highlights added:
... For instance the following set of
desirable universal values are to be found in the Report of the
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century (known as
the Delors Report):
€ awareness of human rights combined with a sense of social
responsibilities;
€ value of social equity and democratic participation;
€ understanding and tolerance of cultural differences and pluralism;
€ a caring, co-operative and enterprising spirit;
€ creativity;
€ sensitivity to gender equality;
€ open-mindedness to change; and
€ obligation to environment protection and sustainable development.
Excerpt p. 52 -- highlights added:
Article 26, paragraph 2 of the UN
Declaration of Human Rights provides the
philosophical planks of an international education:
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human
personality, and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and
friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall
further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of
peace.
P.S. About Ian Hill, the document says:
Dr Ian Hill was born in Tasmania where he was a teacher and administrator in
government schools, and a university lecturer in teaching methodology. From 1986
to 1990 he was Senior Private Secretary/Advisor to the Minister for Education in
the state of Tasmania. He then moved to France as Director of the International
School of Sophia Antipolis, a bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma
school, and to Geneva in 1993 to become Regional Director for
Africa/Europe/Middle East in the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).
In the same year he completed a PhD thesis on policy processes during the
development of the International Baccalaureate diploma. He is now Deputy
Director General of the IBO, based in Geneva. The web site of the IBO is
http://www.ibo.org
From Nancy McFarland:
Do you have any information on the Search Institute? It is deception in it's
fullest, but I need something right away. If you haven't done anything on
them, you may want to. They had a representative at our last school board
meeting and our board voted to administer a questionnaire about all sorts of
private information (sex, etc.). They have recently brought on board the
Christians, churches etc., people being duped. God help us.
I attended a meeting in Newark Ohio several years ago and I remember the
taste left in my mouth was bad news. Asset building, TQM, etc. Now here they
are at my door. I would appreciate any help you could give.
From a concerned Christian:
I am a young mom, who works in the legal field. Well, now I stay home and
school my daughter. To move further in the career field, I had to have a
mandatory “diversity” class. I decided to do this online. It started with
Gender and Society in which the professor was “out to get me.” I chewed the
University, which shall go unnamed, who then put me into Social Problems.
These online classes have real-time seminars and a message board in which
the student participates. The Social Problems curriculum was just as evil.
The book was horrid and the required Internet readings consisted of visiting
activist groups. Some assignments consisted of visiting a homeless
organization, the ACLU and the Sierra Club, none of which I could ever
stand. I was mad, spoke out against the curriculum in nearly every lesson
and provided the other side. The professor let me do it. Conservative
professors are more silent than liberal professors, I found, as the
conservative ones say that out of professionalism they cannot add personal
conjecture.
To make a long story short, I began referring to your book Brave New
Schools, quite often. The professor once asked me to explain why I
thought the program was socialist and I used your book, which she admitted
to reading and feeling alarmed at what is going on in education. I even used
it in my final and got a 99. I was so upset in seeing how many people
believed in things such as teaching sex education at such a young age or
believing that the federal government can and should solve everything. What
your book did was provide me with a way to drive the point that by the time
kids leave these “21st Century” high schools now, there are very few that
would be able to challenge the academic left. It also helped me prove the
indoctrination attempts in the college curriculum.
From Kevin N:
I see that u post articles about public education. Umm...... their seem to
be a girl name Ashley
Anderson. Wow she is really brave to expose whats going on in public
schools. Also when the tsunami in the Indian Ocean occurred, I remember
my history teacher talk about it to us and she said we are global citizens.
That startled me because that reminds me of the New World Order.
Also in recent months 2004 learn about Islam in several public schools already.
I learn how kids were asked to pay to Allah! You know what that is hyprocisy
because anti-christian grous like the ACLU would respond if kids were asked to
pray to the God of the Bible. They have nothing to say about Allah in school.
How sad they tolerate Allah but not Jesus who is the Way Truth and Life.
I also learned about what the're teaching in sex ed and etc. Berit I know some
people wrote posts critizing you and calling you and us Christians intolerant
racisits and on and on. Seem like this new tolerance people is talking about
doesn't include Biblical Christianity.
That's so true, Kevin! But
all the more, we can thank God for opening our eyes and bringing us into His
family. He told us we would face persecution, so what we are experiencing
now helps train us for the future. I'm so glad He promised us: "My grace is
sufficient for you!" See
Persecution
From Gene Malone:
[A letter to the editor of his local newspaper]
Dear editor: I am writing a short, important
letter about a situation that I will present.
Christians appear to have few rights today than most. The ACLU-led attack on
Christian symbols, Beliefs, government-school activities and even words in the
market place are assaulted unduly.
In my retirement, I have witnessed government agencies such as the US Post
Office ordering their employees not to say "Merry Christmas" but "Have a Nice
Day" or "Happy Holidays." Secular schools have censored out Christmas carols and
even the name Christmas vacation to Winter Break/Holiday and so much more.
For a nation founded by the Pilgrims in 1620 as a refuge from government
persecution to believe freely within the confines of a friendly government -
strange that not only government but corporations/retail stores have been
telling their employees they may not work if they say the joyful greeting,
"Merry Christmas." I have become aware of this assault with others.
Perhaps it is time for real Christians, those that bring their Faith/ways to the
public places to show their awareness of blatant insults to their presence by:
refusing to pay taxes, deny their skills in the work places either in government
or the marketplace, discontinue their excellent contributions to the culture,
disregard voting, teach their children at home and search for another homeland
as the one they wished to live, the United States.
On the other hand, live, stand and defend your rights would be a better
alternative. Christian boycotts of stores that continue to denigrate Christmas
and Christians is now in order."
Perhaps Christians should add to their wish to others the joy of Merry CHRISTmas
' the birthday of the Savior, Jesus" to make the greeting more apt.
From Betty:
We have noticed other disturbing
things about the public schools that concur with many of your site’s
articles. If people doubt the truth of what the schools are doing, I can
provide a number of things to document it that I've personally witnessed
including a disturbing conference with my son's 1st grade teacher.
This woman's first line of business was to announce to my son: "let's just
check your desk" and she then chewed out my son in front of me because he
had more than 2 pencils out of his pencil box in his desk. The children "can
only have 2 sharpened pencils with erasers out " (he also had to pull off
his pencil topper and show this woman that the pencil did indeed have an
eraser), the rest must be in a pencil box, and he committed the crime of
having 3 out. She then snatched his scissors and reprimanded him for not
having those in his pencil box. "They are never to be out." And also his
pink eraser and a rock he had must also go in the pencil box. She said "all
books and papers must be on the right and the pencil box must be on the
left". Then she swiped her finger across the inside of his desk and said the
few cracker crumbs there were "not very good". I observed this with alarm.
The kids have snacks during the day (and that's good because they're only
allowed 10-15 minutes to eat lunch in). My son is 7 years old - sometimes
they leave crumbs. What bothered me is that every child must have things
exactly the same and in this strict order. ... On the flip side, a boy in
his class stole some money from him and the teacher's response when I
emailed her about this was "The school social worker will talk to our class
about treating each other respectfully."
Her second line of business was to hit me up for money - "class dues" (must
be cash) and a fee for a newsletter I never okayed or asked for. She did say
that she liked my son's dimples and his smile and he sometimes tried to tell
her things in the morning, but she's "just busy a lot".
She then explained how my son wasn't doing well in math. The school has
recently switched to a touchy-feely math system that I intensely dislike.
This teacher wrote the number 7 on a piece of paper and instructed him to
"create a number image" for her. Well, he didn't have the foggiest idea what
she was talking about and neither did I. She then showed some other examples
of this "new math" - one problem was wanting the kids to add 10+7+8 without
basic table knowledge. These are first graders!
I asked her what about the drills and tables so
the kids could learn their facts and she said they "don't do that anymore". The
kids are supposed to "think creatively and visualize" to find the
answer. It sounded like she was reciting something she was told to say. That
sounds very lovely but it's also asking a young child to use an abstract thought
process without having the ability of instantly recalling memorized facts and
has proven very confusing for my 2 oldest kids. You cannot move on to more
complex math without having simple math facts down. Simple being the key. Deep
thought should not be required for the number 7.
My daughter's 4th grade teachers lied to me about how my daughter was doing with
it. Her homeroom teacher has lied to me more than once about her progress. She
was in tears one evening over a math worksheet that contained these directions:
"Solve the first two problems in each cluster. Then use those problems to help
you solve the last problem. If you think of another problem that helps you solve
the last problem, add it to the cluster." No example was given and it was a
sheet of basic multiplication problems. As she was crying I said to her ,
"Honey, your teachers said you were doing well with math." She said, "But mom,
it's because you or Grandma help me. I'm not doing well at all - I don't know
what I'm doing!" Unfortunately, neither my husband nor I could make heads or
tails of what this worksheet wanted either.
It saddens me, Betty, that
children across the country face this kind of confusion and turmoil. The
world is changing so fast and our precious children are the victims of this
ungodly transformation. May God show us how to equip and prepare them for a
world that despises not only facts and logic but also truth and our
sovereign Lord. In the midst of it all, He still reigns. And in the
spreading darkness, may His light shines all the more brightly.
Please see Betty's other
comments in the sections on
Pokemon and
Popular Occultism.
From C. B.:
I recently had a conversation with our pastors
wife. She is an Art teacher and was told she had to attend a reading class
to continue her education. Upon questioning why an Art teacher would need to
teach reading, she was informed if she didn't attend the class she would
have her teaching certificate pulled. We live in a small rural area, but
the tentacles of corruption have no boundaries.
I am so sad to see how the long arm of the new global management system is
reaching into the smallest rural areas. Soon there will be no freedom except
in Christ. But all the more blessed we are to know Him at this time. The
time is soon coming when all who call themselves Christians will have to
make a choice: follow the world or follow Jesus -- and face painful
consequences. May we be ready to take our stand on Truth when that time
comes.
From Fabienne (her
response to Peter's letter below):
Peter, for young people like you who have no
choice about schooling, there is only one way to defend yourselves from the
"system": cling to God and His ways and keep on not conforming to what they
want of you. There is much help in Scripture to encourage you (Rom 12,
1 Peter 4, Philippians, come to mind).
There is one thing you imply, though, that I would not agree with -- that
home education is expensive ("Most people don't have the money to homeschool
their children."). Of course it's costly time-wise and energy-wise for the
parents, or at least one parent, but it does not have to be expensive
financially, even in the high school years. We had very limited finances
(our income was not predictable) and we homeschooled all of our six
children. [Of course the cost of resources might depend on state
requirements -- if a set curriculum has to be followed then it could be
quite expensive because of having to buy so much material] By home schooling
one can avoid a large number of unnecessary expenses that even supposedly
free education imposes on families one way or another (school balls, school
photos, for example).
There are of course parents who want a certain high standard of living which
they could not keep up if they were homeschooling because one of them would
have to give up working outside the home...
I find that the biggest obstacle for most of the parents I've spoken to is
that they don't think they would be able to teach their children themselves
(most of them are quite capable of doing a great job). Another common
objection I've encountered is, "I couldn't stand to have my children home
all day!" -- an attitude that results from putting children in school...
From Peter.
(This letter was written to 16-year-old Ashley who
wrote
Public schools and what
you are up against) I just read your
article at Phoenix news. I'm a 19 year old Senior in a public high school
(Graduating this January). I just wanted to let you know that I thought your
article was amazing; I couldn't agree more. I just have a question:
It's obvious you, too, see the problem a lot of students are faced with.
What are you suggesting we do to defend ourselves from the way of the public
school system? Most people don't have the money to homeschool their
children. My dad who has made my life an ongoing constant conflict for the
last 12 years because of school. He gets so disappointed and sad when I
don't conform to high school ways and get the grades, but he doesn't
understand. I didn't think anyone did (with the exception of my girlfriend,
and that's still slightly questionable) until I read your article. I thought
I was crazy and delusional. My primary source of high school credit has come
from within one classroom in the past three years. The teacher of that class
openly admits to "conforming" the students. Attempting to conform them,
anyways. And then said that the school isn't successfully conforming the
minds of students in that particular class, hence the reason they are in an
accelerated credit classroom environment. They (the students, including me)
take independent courses because we can't conform to the rest of the
classroom "upstairs" (The class I speak of is in the very basement of the
school, separated from the rest of the school.) anyway, the point I'm making
here is that I've had trouble subjugating my brain to the way the school
operates, and the lessons we learn. Subtle lessons. In a way I'm trying to
avoid becoming a product of the goal of the school if that makes sense to
you.
From Polly Anglin:
Our Sunday Patriot News, Harrisburg PA, gave us a
peek at the new SAT format.
Critical Reading: This used to be called the verbal section. It includes
reading passages and questions. No more analogies
Math: Expanded into new areas, including algebra II.
Writing: This is the new part....
Writing sample essay question...
Directions: Consider carefully the following excerpt and the assignment
below it. Then plan and write an essay that explains your ideas as
persuasively as possible. Keep in mind that the support you provide--both
reasons and examples----will make your view convincing to the reader.
"The principle is this: each failure leads us closer to deeper knowledge, or
to greater creativity in understanding old data, to new lines of inquiry.
Thomas Edison experienced 10.000 failures before he succeeded in perfecting
the lightbulb. When a friend of his remarked that 10,000 failures was a lot,
Edison replied, "I didn't fail 10,000 times, I successfully eliminated
10,000 materials and combinations that didn't work."
Myles Brand, "Taking the Measure of Your Success"
ASSIGNMENT: What is your view on the idea that it takes failures to achieve
success? In an essay, support your position, using an example (or examples)
from literature, the arts, history, current events, politics, science and
technology, or your own experience or observation.
SCORING THE ESSAY: The essay will be scored by high school and college
teachers. Each essay will be scored by two people who won't know each
other's score. Each reader will give an essay score. The two scores will
then be added.
SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND HANDWRITING: Even with some errors in spelling,
punctuation and grammar, you can still get atop score on the essay. Readers
will judge it on overall impression it produces. Handwriting will not count
against you but essay readers must be able to read your writing...........
Any thoughts????/
Response from
Sarah L.: I have diligently taught my children, from the earliest
grades, to have good grammar, near-perfect spelling, and excellent
punctuation. This says that kids will no longer be judged on those things,
but rather on their “persuasive” writing abilities (which means values,
attitudes, feelings, opinions, etc.). Huh?
My husband teaches graduate level college courses and he finds that even
there the students are sometimes sadly lacking in the most basic grammar,
spelling and punctuation. He’s in the business world, and his employees
often haven’t mastered these things! He says he has to re-write things
before he turns them into his bosses sometimes. At the very least he has to
go over them with a fine-toothed comb, making sure that they are
well-written.
So we are to believe that this is workplace SKILLS? A dumbed-down workforce
that doesn’t even have to be skilled on the basics of grammar, spelling and
punctuation in order to get a good grade on the SAT? Colleges already
complain that they have to babysit the Freshmen, enrolling them in basic
writing classes for at least two semesters.
In the meantime, this army of homeschooled kids who will be highly literate
won’t pass the SAT because they can’t exhibit the proper attitudes in this
“persuasive” writing piece. No wonder some homeschool curriculum companies
have dumbed-down their grammar curriculums (A Beka, for example). That won’t
be what the STW folks want in the future.
My questions are these: what exactly is the proper attitudes that the
powers-that-be want students to exhibit on this essay? Any guesses as to
what students are supposed to say? What is the criteria for grading this
essay, if not good writing skills? On what will they be judged? Any ideas?
From
Michele:
THANK YOU so much for posting the link to
the article about public schools ["America's failing public school
system"]
written by a 16 year old. I pulled my
eldest out in after 3th grade; my middle child after 2nd grade, and my
youngest has NEVER been in a public school.
Let me tell you, what this girl has written
is so dead-on it's frightening. My girls' school had them start keeping a
journal in THIRD grade! And no, they don't teach phonics anymore. But I
bought phonics workbooks and tought them myself.
I wish you could see the 3rd grade mathbook
they used. It was such a jumbled, confusing mess, even I, a college-educated
adult couldn't make heads or tails out of it!
In those few years it was POSITIVE to me that
school (public school) isn't about learning anymore. When I started
homeschooling, my eldest, who was supposed to be in 4th grade had to start
in 3rd grade homeschooling textbooks because the 4th grade ones were too
difficult for her! I was angry I felt she had those early wasted years in
school.
That girl that wrote the article is right.
Parents HAVE to homeschool or send their kids to private school. Money
doesn't matter. We are as poor as dirt and we found a way. With God, ALL
things are possible.
Thank you, Michele, for your
encouragement to parents and grandparents.
From Dennis Monroe:
I read the article written by Ashley
Anderson entitled "America's failing public school
system." Ashley is wise
far beyond her years and I thank the Lord for that. I have a one year old
grandson, a most beautiful lively little fellow that is obviously a
cherished creation of God. His father, my son, laments all the time in
wondering just what his son has to look forward to. I told him to read
Ashley's article. I am sure it will give him encouragement. I also thank you
again for the encouragement that can always be found on your web-site.
Chris H:
Regarding "Johnny can't add but Suresh
Venktasubramanian can" and all
the outsourcing and science and math intellect coming from the Indian
population. There are a few sides to this coin, they can be paid a fraction
of the salary demanded in the West, as has been discussed to much, they do
have a strong drive and work ethic and all, but the point in the article to
consider more, the "let us look at the U.S. and our educational system and
find what we are doing wrong."
My mom used to say that phrase all the time, "be careful what you wish for,
you might get it". Well, I think this is what many Americans want and
purposely set as a goal for themselves and their children. They don't have
as a goal a "good work ethic" for themselves and their children. Their goal
is seeing how little they can do.
The 70's show, "Lifestyles of the Rich and
Famous" perhaps had to much of an effect on those who gravitate toward
laziness. They are proud to have someone else doing their cooking, cleaning,
child care, yard work, it all, and do it for the lowest cost, and now we are
not even left with a job and clock to punch for that 40 hour salary needed
to pay all our out-of-town servants. Fine if you are Rich and Famous, but
the middle class and below wore proudly this attitude as a status symbol but
cannot support it. I heard someone say people are fat in America because it
is a type of status symbol, "Look at me, I am so rich that I can blow money
on food, food I don't even need or want, and look like a cow". I am
important.
A good portion of folks don't really care if
their kids can read. They have no intentions of having THEIR offspring doing
anything more strenuous then they are doing - eating, sleeping, and sitting
on big comfy couches being pompous and self important.
A percentage still set high goals and strive
for the finest. They are our hope. But maybe some have watched to many of
those stuffy BBC English miniseries from the late 1800's, everyone sitting
around in parlors sipping tea and gossiping. But bottom line, I think the
unspoken goal has purposely been - intellectual laziness SO someone else
would have to get their hands dirty and workout their brains. So the bubble
has burst, we are reaping what we sowed, and our days of "being served by
the nations for a low price" are coming to an end.
Not to mention God punishing our disobedience
as a nation, a huge factor. And as a homeschooler also the intentional
dumbing down of our children as a nation, but we hope that those in HIM have
not been seduced and are staying faithful, listening to Him and working hard
and not growing weary, so HIS work will continue to get done.
From Sarah Leslie:
This report --
Legislator sees risk in home schooling
--
links child abuse to homeschooling, and then
brings in the charter school issue. Charter school students are publicly
enrolled students, but charter schools are virtually unregulated in the
state of Ohio to the extent of portapotties in parking lots, no background
checks on teachers, no phones in buildings, etc. Lumping homeschoolers in
with this lot is a volatile mix. When the abuses inevitably occur with the
public charters (and the public “virtual” or “cyber” charters that resemble
homeschooling superficially) the officials may crack down on all
homeschoolers (a group who do NOT enroll, and do NOT want anything to do
with public money). For more info on this issue, go to
http://www.homeschoolfreedom.org.
First
letter from Shirley M., a concerned mother in Australia:
I recently tried to take 2 of my children out of school to do distance
education with ACE (you have probably heard of it) only to be reported to
the authorities. My children are now back in public school for the moment.
Second letter: I told you last e-mail
that we put our children back into the public school because the principle
had reported us to the dept. of education. Well now we have taken them back
out to home school them. We are in God's care and protection now, we don't
know what lies ahead of us, but we have put our trust in God.
In South Australia a child of compulsory school age (6-15) must be enrolled
in a South Australian school, and apply for an exemption to home school.
Which would mean that we would fill out a form and sign it. Then they would
come around to the house to see if we were suitable and were using the
curriculum they would approve of and of course there are so many other
issues that they would have . One I know of is the A.C.A curriculum, they
don't like it and are trying to faze it out (their words). Then they would
decide if we could do home schooling. We will not be signing any such form.
We are probably headed for
the same kinds of control, restrictions and government oversight here in the
USA. May God give us the strength to follow Him and refuse to compromise.
This battle for our children is the hardest and most devious of all. But our
God is faithful to His own!
From
Chris Houghton:
Your link today of a educator who was so
frustrated with teaching and his students being so bored, etc., made me
think of a book I read a while back:
Endangered Minds (Why are Children Don't Think), by Jane M. Healy,
1990, Simon & Shuster
Excellent book!!! Lots of your readers have probably read it or heard of it,
and maybe a lot of educators have already read it, but parents need to read
it, because it explains why the children are having all these problems.
Trying to summarize the main ideas of the book does not do it justice! But
it is a must read for all. It is about the development and growth of the
brain from birth on, and the ways and methods that we use to learn that are
permanently detrimental to the development of the brain.
From Chris Houghten,
home school mom in Illinois:
Off to a local library a few times a week to search the
shelves for something I need, as homeschoolers know, the good stuff is the old stuff.
But what I wanted to say - you remember the story - Fahrenheit 451, about book
burning, Ray Bradbury - well, the libraries are not burning them, that is the good
history books, they are just putting them on the "for sale" shelves at your local
library for a quarter. They just want them gone! They dread some young person reading
what really happened in History, so they're busy rewriting it.
They are getting rid of this stuff so fast, I cannot
believe the stacks of excellent history books I come home with, and they are filling
the shelves with junk and lies. No news here, we all know there is an intentional
assault on the truth and facts. Is it just a coincidence that every library in
American is buying and tossing the same books? Hmmm.
I know this is like worrying about your bug spray
running out when there is a mosquito plague on the whole planet. But the truth will
survive and be preserved and passed on and the seeds will be planted, the battle will
be fought and the Lord will win.
Amen, Chris. “The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid? ...
Psalm 27:1-4
From Gene Malone, former
teacher and founder of Freedom 2000/USA: As a retired
American history teacher (30 years -8th grade government schools). I never used the
term Social(ist) Studies as it was the dumbing down of history with its hybrid
approach to truth. Social Studies actually was/is a hodgepodge of generalizations in
economics, psychology, sociology, with a small bit of American history to hang the
mush upon.
Now, the Weekly Standard, in some libraries, May 6, 2002, pp. 27-29 is something you/I
already know, but it is shocking to see it in print.
The piece reveals that the NCSS (National Council of Social Studies) in can I say, the
United States, approves of so-called national standards light on American history.
They approve of the dumbing down of America through teaching little about our nation
in favor of more generic, global concepts. The writer also points out that there are
few American history teachers anyway, now, and schools of education have been
producing few with ACADEMIC credentials , duh! One sentence points out a growing view
in academic (lack of) circles that you "don't have to know any American history to be
an effective citizen." I wrote that as it was printed on the pages referenced. Some
students were quoted as saying-what's so important to be a citizen? (and more)
I wish someone would post this whole piece, maybe Jimmy K. It is a shocking, but known
condition by the freedom-few. And I keep wondering about Constitutional, economic
illiteracy in our falling Republic-I didn't want to even imagine that the condition is
much worse in that few are learning about the nation's founders, heroes, those who
died defending this unique country. Too, few students ,adults, political people, media
people even know that we are a Republic not a people's democracy (socialist in
concept).
Educators (those once learned in an area of study) should be held responsible for this
ongoing debacle. Imagine the sooncoming national history tests in this nation with
questions based on social mush and ratings based on massive ignorance while
excellence/truth is the quest for the few outside government places.
There should be a (state by state) investigation, bythe private, free sector to
evaluate the damage done to our nation due to the failure of our teachers to teach
about our great nation, the United States.
From Mona McNee (British
researcher): ...our society is being
attacked on many fronts. But in literacy alone, you get just that one item wrong first
time, and the ramifications go on for ever - $$$ on remedial teaching, poor university
intake, shortage of doctors/nurses/teachers/engineers; truancy - delinquency - poor
parenting - boredom and its consequences.
Schools are the No.1 target for arson. Poor literacy
costs £5 billion a year in Britain, they say. What Hogenson called the "eventual
social consequences" are endless. By now, with so many strings joining up, the
spider's web is strangling society like the thin threads on Gulliver. And one person
can only cope with a few strands.
Thank you, Mona. Here is some
additional information:
New "Literacy" for a New World
and
Early
experimentation in California schools
From Polly Anglin
[an insightful researcher with some helpful observations social engineering in the
classroom]:
...one district had "created" a program called "Second
Step". That is a program any district can PURCHASE. ... Lots of role playing and peer
group evaluation of students actions. One learns very quickly that is not wise to
throw the second punch. Not wise to defend yourself unless you are prepared to be
judged the bad guy, and MOST unwise to judge anyone else's behavior as right or wrong.
These programs teach the children that aggression is never acceptable, that firm
beliefs must never be defended physically or verbally, that agreeing to disagree is
what works, and that self defense is not acceptable. And we wonder why so many folks
end up going berserk. After years of repressing "protective"strong emotions they tend
to erupt, and not having learned constructive means of dealing with them, yield
destructive actions. Unquestioning reliance on the PEER MEDIATORS, otherwise known as
the GROUP, and not on your personal, individual decision making skills is the result.
The foundation for the future system of Justice is being set in place. Those who have
been involved with these programs have noted that the "punishment " that the peers
decide on are usually far more stringent than those that the facilitator would have
chosen. In the article the students determined that taking away enjoyable activities
was the preferred punishment. I note that these are "at home" activities. So how do
the Peers know that the accused has followed through??? Must parents be notified and
report back. Are there any appeals? What does the "ADULT" version of this system look
like.? Arbitration Boards, Neighborhood Watch Groups, Facilitators, International
Courts, etc.,etc.,..........
Think about it. How many years ago was the "Time out" concept introduced? Foundation
building takes a long time and this is a system of patient gradualism. Now those who
learned the ropes of "Time Out" will glide easily into "Peace Places". Only compliant,
mindless followers of the systems "global citizens" worldview will be found competent.
The SYSTEM is the BULLY. We have been trying to call the Bully's Bluff for years but
he still rules the day in many School Yards and Classrooms and Colleges and
Universities and Workplaces and Homes. Frustrating!!!!
From Amy:
I love your site. Especially the information about
education, because I am a teacher. A lot of things you discuss is what I was taught in
my undergrad and is what is really being hammered into my brain in my masters program.
Right now everywhere I turn I hear about cooperative learning, critical thinking, and
alternative forms of assessment. I thought that all of these things sounded great, but
I never thought about the aspect of them training students for a one world government.
As I continue to explore your site I just get chills
up my spine. I can't believe as a Christian, who is an educator, that I have been
brainwashed by colleges to accept and practice many of the things described in your
book, Brave New Schools.
After reading Brave New Schools, I went
and examined my textbooks from my Master's program. I was shocked by what I found.
This the Foreword out of Designs For Cooperative Interactions by Robin Fogarty,
Skylight Publishing, Inc. 1990.
FOREWORD
Designs for Cooperative Interactions:
On a Planetary Scale, Buckminster
Fuller coins the phrase "Spaceship Earth: as he envisions his concept of a global
community, cooperating and coexisting in mutually benefiting ways.
On a World Scale, Marilyn Ferguson
write about grass-roots networks conspiring interwoven cooperative efforts toward
societal transformation.
On an International Scale, the
Japanese skillfully adapt and refine the highly effective participatory model of
management called Quality Circles, which spirals cooperative decision-making through
every corporate level.
On an Educational Scale, Roger and
David Johnson elaborate on structured interaction in the classroom. Their research on
"circles of learning: outlines a highly feasible cooperative group model for
classrooms to increase student achievement and enhance self-concepts.
On a Personal Scale, teachers
throughout our schools design the new school lecture, using strategies of
participation and interaction to engage students cooperatively and thoughtfully.
It's getting scary out here in the field of education. I am so
thankful for your ministry.
Thank you, Amy. I so appreciate your
fellowship in this spiritual and psychological battle.
From D. M.:
At this last Wednesday night prayer meeting, one of
the women told how one of the classes in the school her youngest son attends
(Massachusetts) is pushing the same classroom Islam that has recently been in the news
regarding California (e.g., wear the "clothing", pick a Muslim name, etc.). At least
the school did send home a permission slip for the parents to sign.
This lady told the school her son was not to participate. The teacher called her to
ask "are you sure?" She replied "yes, I am sure."
I don't know what I will do with that information yet. I would like to call the school
and ask if I can show a Jesus/Christianity video to the same class. Of course they
will refuse. My next question would then be to ask
upon what basis then, if they cannot allow any form of Christianity into their
curriculum, do they think they are able to introduce the religion of Islam. Please
pray for this, and for me.
Thank you for showing us that this
promotion of Islam reaches far beyond California schools. I will pray with and for
you, dear friend in Christ. Maybe others will join us.
From
Mona (from England): All
the state schools in Knowsley (a borough of what was Liverpool) have had large new signs on strong posts, Saying "___
Community Comprehensive
School", "____ Community primary school". Needless to say, this has cost taxpayers, with no effect on education.
"Community" is a flag word, an indication that the person using it is Progressive.
From Michele:
Thought I'd share this with you. My eldest is 7 and in second grade. I
homeschooled her for 1st grade, but decided to see how she'd do in public school
this year. BIG MISTAKE. I have many many complaints, but one specific one I wanted to
share with you today. They are learning to write in cursive now, and have sentences they
have to practice writing. One of them is "Hedda is a Hindu". Berit, I thought
there was seperation of church and state in this country?! It should have been "Hedda
is happy". You know, you'd NEVER see "Cathy is Christian". My husband is
right. It isn't seperation of church and state, it is seperation of CHRISTIANITY and
state.
It is for this and other reasons I'm going back to homeschooling this September. May
God protect our children.
Thank you, Michele, for sharing your insight
and your wise choice.
From Janet Trapp:
Many years ago, (19...they go quickly, don't they?) when my daughter was in 2nd grade,
she brought home from the public school library a "normal" library book.
I read it before she could. The story was of a young boy who went to Mexico and wanted
to become a witch.
He could not be accepted for he was just a boy. So, he dressed as a girl and then he
joined them. They were all becoming witches and now he was "one of the crowd". Quite a
blend of themes in that story, wouldn't you say?
This incident occurred late in the school year. Through the years, upon going to the
local public libraries
I was stunned at the level of "altered reality" these "fantasy" books continually grew
to display.
Harry Potter is not a new idea.....just a longer book and more involved.
Children's literature has proceeded to present the "altered consciousness" for many
years. We aren't reading Winnie the Pooh stories any more.
The precious vehicle of children's literature has been abused for a long time. Parents
should be ashamed
to claim ignorance, but we know that the door is always open to growing in the wisdom
desired by our Lord.
At that time we had been considering going into the private schools for our local
Christian radio was informing us well of the content and agenda of Canfield and Siecus
and ...you name it. (See how big Mr. Canfield is now with his Chicken Soup books?
...and they are plentiful in the Christian book stores.... )
Please Lord, help us for we need your Spirit for discernment so much!
I was the odd Christian parent at my church for thinking it was important back then.
Our children were
blessed to be out of the public system from that point on.
Later I was to learn from my daughter that she also had "magic circle" in 2nd grade. I
shudder at my ignorance, just remembering it! I trusted and learned from that point on
to be more aware as the whole family was vulnerable to the inroads of the New (old)
Age.
Well, many years have passed and the private schools have slipped significantly down
the slippery slope also. I believe that if the slope is slippery, then the muck and
mire being gathered along the way already
has accumulated in bogs awaiting us at the bottom of the hill!
I have passed on your site of information to my "Christian" in-laws for they have two
daughters reading hairy Harry. People make choices along the way and I am thankful to
the Lord, that He has made your extended information available. I pray their eyes are
open ...they will make their choices
and I hope they are informed. Can't plead ignorance then.
I know it is a difficult time for many to take a stand for the peer pressure has grown
for the children as well as for the parents. Who said people outgrow that???
I suggested they also read the comments for then they will more easily see the (lack
of) logic from those who misread your concerns. ...That alone makes me shudder for so
many call themselves Christian. That, too,has always been my heartbreak. Isn't the
point really, which Jesus is worshipped? One that the person creates
to rationalize the choices made....or the Jesus of the Bible, who, as said in Acts, is
the same Jesus who will return?
Thank you, Janet. I so appreciate
your insights, encouragement and fellowship in Christ!
From
Fabienne Durdin: Hello
from the really deep south (also known as North Antarctica), that is, Tasmania. We
have returned to Australia (very reluctantly, as we have left many friends behind)
after twelve years in Southeast Asia. We are feeling very much in limbo at present
as... we try to re-orient ourselves in what has become for us a foreign culture, even
though it is "home".
Australia (and the church in Australia) has changed
greatly since we left twelve years ago (mostly for the worse), but the most
disconcerting thing is that most of the people we have talked to (especially in the
churches) assure us it hasn't really changed much.
I suppose the frog in the frying pan would have said the same about the temperature of
the water around him.
When I wrote my novel "Sonata for Flute" (www.sonata.durdin.net)
in 1994, I was already aware that Australia was sliding fast. Besides letters from
friends in Australia, news stories, magazines, and various school textbooks, I had been
reading "Reinventing Australia - The mind and mood of Australia in the 90s", by Hugh
Mackay (Angus and Robertson, 1993). I wrote my book in the way of a warning, especially
to Aussie Christians, and to encourage believers to make sure they were on the right
track.
On Sunday 4 November there was an article by Simon Kearney in the Hobart Mercury (also
in the Sunday Herald Sun in Melbourne) about a report for the Commonwealth Department of
Education, Training and Youth Affairs written by Assoc. Prof. Marilyn Fleer.
Her report recommended "that childcare facilities be merged with
preschools so children receive specialised teaching from the youngest possible age."
Note the reason she gives in the following statement quoted in the article:
"Early childhood development programs can produce large effects on IQ during the early
childhood years and sizeable, persistent effects on reading and math achievement, grade
retention, special education and socialisation."
The article goes on to say:
"The NSW [New South Wales] Government is developing a
curriculum for children from birth through to the age of eight. NSW is leading
Australia in early-childhood education with about 65 per cent of four-year-olds in some
type of schooling. ...[Prof. Fleer again] 'The strongest benefits of early childhood
education for children were, where children started before the age of two years
[and] where children undertook more than three years of early childhood education.'
she said."
The article finishes on the following note:
"The study's findings were backed by neurological research on
children which showed that certain core skills were impossible to learn after the first
three years of life."
[What might they mean by "core skills"? Anything parents can't train their
children in? How on earth have children all over the world managed without "early
childhood education" all these centuries past?]
In Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour
Thank you for your wise but
sad analysis, Fabienne. Your descriptions match the changes in the USA. Many
Christians have closed their eyes to the merger of church and global education
strategies -- and to the web of government control over child-raising. How blessed we
are to know Jesus Christ in the midst of all these change!
Preparing for Victory
From Mona M. (in UK):
Our
(UK) churches are empty, fall into decay, are torn down to make way for "development".
The BBC etc. mock religion in their soaps etc. Support for Christianity previously
coming from home/school/organizations is now absent, Scouts and Brownies Guides etc. and
Boys' Brigades are shadows of their former selves. Schools are "multi-faith,
multi-cultural". Patriotism is risky, has to be expressed in terms that do not "offend"
incomers. The King/Queen used to be "Defender of the Faith", but the Queen has done
nothing that I can see to defend Christianity. "Fid.def." no longer appears on our
coins. Brussels sees the royal family is just citizens like everyone else , nothing
special, an anachronism.
Free speech? Free speech on immigration has been routinely stifled
for decades, with unjustified cries of "Racist!". When I try to access the British
National Party on the local library computers, the screen says "Access denied", and
Political Correctness makes people wary of expressing their worries about immigration in
public.
Democracy? Self-government, sovereignty, independence? Ted Heath
lied when he said the Treaty of Rome was purely economic with no political overtones. Now
the Treaty of Nice is going through our Parliament, pretty well handing o0ver the last
shreds of independence from Westminster to Brussels. If the very existence of "England" is
imperiled, changing to "regions" of the E.U., what is left?
Yet the E.U. costs us a lot of money. France makes no attempt to
stop illegal immigrants coming here from Calais - 100,000 a year. We are under attack,
human invasion all the more effective for not being military.
In the days of the Romans, feeding Christians to the lions was
dreadful but visible, honestly dreadful. Now here everything is covered over in
sugar-icing, "caring", P.C., velvet hand but iron fist with the real power. Politicians
(with rare exceptions, Enoch Powell, Frank Field, David Alton) want a career in politics
rather than a chance to benefit our country. Every ill has to have a framework for "help"
even though the bottom layer, helping real people, (e.g. our national health system) is
creaking badly. Even the trappings of greatness are tired and in tatters.
I feel that I am living in the end of a civilization. Cassandra,
moaning Minnie? Well, that's how I feel. And helpless. I have tried to fight this tide ,
and just see it getting worse. We now have 1-1/2 million muslims here.
Another WTC here, and ..what? Civil war? All the suppressed
resentment, politicians ignoring our worries for 50 years, will boil up and where can we
go then? I wish this were not so.
Thank you, Mona, for your insights and
observations. I appreciate your summary of our common concern.
From Sharon Dainty, Australia: I have been
reading Brave New Schools and I can't believe the parallels that are made
relating to Australia. I mean - the Native American Indian culture that is being
pushed in your schools is the same as the aboriginal dreamtime stuff that is pushed in
our schools.
I just finished another book at the moment about how the Australian
history is now taught in a perverted way to make children think that
captain cook was an aboriginal slayer. A lot of the Australian settlers were Christian,
and saved the aboriginal population from extinction, White mans medicine and hygiene
saved the aboriginal children from states of being fly-blown and diseased., But to say
that now would label you a racist and stolen generation supporter.
The whole Olympics in Sydney is a big show for the rest of the
world- Cathy Freeman lit the torch, and that was because the Aboriginal people were
threatening protests, instead it looks like reconciliation has been achieved. Anyway,
Back to Your Book.
I would like to know more about the schooling with computers-
you mention it in chapter 2,(I am only up to chapter 3 now). I have heard elsewhere
that there was talk about having every student at home and schooled by computer, Do
you know more of this?
I ask as I would be interested in developing my own internet
school, a private school on the web. I know it would take work and finances, but my
God is a big God. I am just toying with the idea now. Yours in Christ Jesus
From Mathias
Graul,
Denmark:
We are currently under attack from various
evils. Without wanting to succumb to a certain form of hyper-fundamentalist
dualist superstition leading to a naive form of paranoia, I cannot help thinking
that this is among other things related to my writing a letter to the Danish
ministry of education concerning occult influences in state schools in Denmark.
I have also published that letter in the Danish section of my internet church
(see URL below, but this is in Danish, of course). Anyway, prayer is needed for
that at any rate.
On Wednesday my little daughter was attacked by
a 10-12 year old girl when driving home from school in the public bus. That girl
would press our Olivia holding her neck tight and she came home with a
bluish
color in her face and crying. Police and school leadership are of the
opinion that this was "just" some kind of unusual rough behavior of
kids doing stupid things among themselves - and they are maybe right, however,
no matter how one is going to perceive this incident, this has caused quite an
amount of distress for us including this weekend and Olivia is still more
nervous than usual.
Please pray for that minister of education (a
woman) that my letter will come to cause her to think and also act, so occult
stuff in Danish schools will be stopped or at least more carefully
scrutinized before being distributed. I had written in particular about one
stupid thing which they call "write dance" hatched out by some
new age folks in Holland where the claim to prepare for smoother
writing movements is put up as a pretender in order to come sneaking in the back door
as it were with some preparative stuff for yoga and the like. I just
hope that minister isn't among the many Europeans practicing yoga herself!
God bless you all.
From
Renee Rodriguez: Here is a full copy of
the Hatch Amendment. I
have made it available for people to copy and print from my website but I do not
reach the family audience primarily on my site. I have found that most parents
do not even know that this resource is available to them and am trying to get the
word out. I have it on file with each of my children at their school and I give it
to them again at the beginning of each school year. I would like to encourage you to
make it available to your readers for printing out so that they will be able to
place this on file with their children's schools.
Thank you and God Bless your ministry.
In Christ Alone
Renee Rodriguez
Age Two Age - A Discernment Ministry - www.agetwoage.org
From Cynthia Woods [Re:
Redefining "Literacy" for a New World
Order]:
Berit, this is a very timely article
since my son's class is starting a new reading series this week out of the Houghton-Mifflin 4th grade textbook
titled Imagine. The unit is called "Could It Really Happen."
The first
story in the reading series is "Jumanji" by Chris Van Allsburg.
I kept my child home from school this morning so he could miss this reading.
I just got back from the school just minutes ago as I requested an
appointment to review the textbook and teaching materials before I allow my
child to read from this series. I'm hoping to review the material later this
afternoon.
Thanks
for the encouragement, Cynthia. I am so glad this was helpful. Please let me know
what you find.
From IBO, Geneva
Switzerland: The correspondence
below began with a letter from my friend, Charlene Anderson, to the International Baccalaureate Organization
(IBO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Notice the questions and answers in bold
letters, which help show the relationship between the occult UN leader Robert Muller
and the IBO program which is becoming increasingly popular around the world.
Char wrote:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Our middle school is in the process of becoming an IBO
school. I have some questions about this process. How long does it take for
the "accreditation" process to be complete? Once complete, does the school
have any special privleges attached?
One other question: Robert Muller who is the
acknowledged father of education within the U. N. has developed what has become
known as "World Core Curriculum". In looking for this
information, perhaps you could offer some information as to how IBO
compares with this curriculum. Is it similar? If it is not similar,
is it close?
Anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated.
Ms. Anderson
USA/AMERICA
___________________________________________
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001
20:16:12 +0200
From: "Ellen
Wallace" <ellenw@ibo.org>
To: Char <charlie@hsnp.com>
CC: ibna@ibo.org
Dear Ms Anderson,
I'm forwarding your message to our IB North America office,
since schools working towards authorization deal directly with our regional offices.
I'm not quite sure if you work at the school; if not, your best source of
information is the person at the school who is working with the IBO. I'm not
familiar with the world core curriculum but one of my colleagues who works closely
with the UN undoubtedly is and I will pass your question to him.
Best wishes,
Ellen Wallace, Geneva
___________________________________________
Dear Ms Anderson,
Further to the response of my colleague, Ellen Wallace, who
kindly copied her reply to me, I can tell you that I have the world core curriculum
material of Robert Muller who started in 1979 with a small experimental training
school in Arlington, Texas. I find that it is remarkably similar to the IB Primary
Years Programme (PYP). We have used very similar terms (without having consulted his
work as far as I know) to describe the main PYP transdisciplinary themes; for
example, where are we in time and place? Who am I? (Muller: our planetary home and
place in the universe; our place in time; the miracle of individual human life, and
so on.)
Our three programmes have almost identical aims and
objectives to that of Muller, based on intercultural understanding and respect, and
the consideration of global issues in an inter-dependent world. Muller's curriculum
places more emphasis on spirituality than the IBO curricula, otherwise we are very
very close in philosophy.
Best wishes,
Ian HILL
IB Organization
Geneva
____________________________________________
Char
sent the same letter to another Mr. Ron Murphy at the IBO. Here is a different
response:
Dear Ms. Anderson,
From your email, I assume that you are a parent of a student
at a middle school in the process of becoming a Middle Years Program. Schools take
anywhere from 2 to 5 years to implement, apply and become authorized to be a Middle
Years Programme school. I suggest you contact your school principal or program
coordinator for more specific information on where they are in the process and their
timeline for authorization.
I am not familiar with the World Core Curriculum so,
unfortunately, I cannot provide you with the comparison you have asked for.
Sincerely,
Ron Murphy
IB Organization
Geneva
From IBO,
New York office, via Charlene Anderson (June
7, 2001): Here's
another response I got from IBO in NY. Note what she says about teacher training
workshops and on-going evaluations... Char
Dear Ms Anderson,
The authorization process for the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
takes at least two years. Once schools make the decision to take on the programme,
they must send their teachers to IBO training workshops and then implement the
programme for one full year (in at least one grade level) before making application to
the IBO. The IBO sends an authorization team to the school for a site visit after the
application has been accepted.
Once a school is authorized to offer the Middle Years Programme,
it continues to receive guidance and curricular materials developed by teachers around
the world. Schools may also participate in a moderation process for exit level
assessment. There are on-going evaluation visits (three years after authorization and
every five years thereafter). As well, there are ongoing opportunities for
professional development. Schools also receive IB World magazine and access to the
Online Curriculum Center which includes discussion forums for teachers at IB schools
around the world.
The IB MYP is not a curriculum; rather it is a curricular
framework that schools use to adapt locally prescribed or adopted content. I am not
very familiar with the World Core Curriculum and do not know of any IB schools that
are currently using it. My understanding is that at the moment only the Robert Muller
School in Austin, Texas is following the World Core Curriculum.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have other
questions.
Sincerely,
Niki Singh
Primary Years Programme
Regional Manager nikis@ibo.org
International
Baccalaureate North America, 475 Riverside Drive, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10115
Phone: +1 (212)
696-4464, Fax: +1 (212) 889-9242
From
Fabienne: I was re-reading Brave
New Schools, and as I started chapter Chapter
3 and read about young Ashley's experience I remembered an incident that happened
quite some time ago. It was in Australia in the late 70s, about 1976 or 77, and my husband
and I were visiting some Christian friends who had several children (I was either
expecting our first or he was a few months old, I can't recall -- but neither my husband
nor I was a believer then). Anyway, one of their daughters, about 12 years old, had
brought home one of her English text books to show her parents. Her class in the selective
government school she attended had been one of those chosen to participate in a trial of a
new English curriculum, of which this was one of the textbooks.
The first thing that was startling was that she and her classmates
had been told by their teacher not to take the book home nor talk about it at home. Being
a child who didn't hide things from her parents, and being rather disturbed by the book,
she took it home anyway.
Then she showed us a writing assignment from the book that her class
had been given: they were to imagine they were murderers and describe in detail how they
felt as they planned and carried out a killing, and how they felt afterwards. The book was
full of similar "situation ethics" readings and "creative" writing
assignments.
Even though we weren't believers and we were pretty liberal as far
as education was concerned, we were astounded that anyone in their right mind would ask
anyone, let alone children, to write or even imagine such things. This was in the 70s!
We later heard that the curriculum trial had been dropped, as
"schools weren't ready for it". From what we read on your site and from what we
hear from home, it would be no surprise to find that book established in school curricula
nowadays.
[BTW The incident sparked one of the many discussions of the Truth
that family had with us. What a blessing it is that they crossed our paths -- they were
among those the Lord used to point us to Himself.]
Anomymous:
What is wrong with acknowledging what other religions
believe? Shouldn't children all know what other
people think and respect them for it?
If they have an unwavering faith in God, the simple acknowledging the fact that the
Sioux believed that you go on doing what you did after you die should not convert
them to that belief. Why is it wrong to know the beliefs of other people?
It isn't. We need to know what others believe
so that we can reach out and relate to them with understanding. But we need to
understand from God's perspective. Unlike most of the world's religions (excluding
Judaism and Islam), Christianity is based on absolute, unchanging truths. It cannot be
modified or conformed to popular ideas. It remains the "same yesterday, today and
tomorrow."
As soon as a child raised in a Christian homes
begins to synthesize Christian truths, blending them with other religions, the child is
no longer thinking or seeing from a Biblical perspective. In this world of
"continual change," this dialectic process immunizes many children against
ever to believing the Bible to be God's unchanging Word. They begin to see eternity as a
place where everyone will be together in some kind of eternal bliss. No need for the
cross. No need for Jesus Christ to die for us. No reason not to blend Buddhism with
Christian beliefs. Please see What it means to be a Christian.
Anonymous:
I was reading an article at your webpage about how you support home schooling
over public or private schools. I find this very offensive you cant teach things you dont
understand, Im in Calculus 2 and Phisics 2 I madea 1540 on the SAT/ACT, I've been to Stat
science fair competition 3 times and once I made it to nationals where I made a 2nd place,
Im in the all state band 1st chair, there is a list on the web some where that has the
list of the 100 greatest novels Ive read them all could home schooling do that please
respond.
For the first
set of Education Comments see Part 1
