Spunky Homeschool

Schools For the 21st Century

Dec. 1, 2006 at 6:55 AM

Homeschooling

Education, Education, Education, that's Tony Blair's mantra for the common man.   In a new initiative Tony Blair believes the government should teach "life skills, " how to cook, enjoy the theater, and surf the internet."  

School leavers should know how to cook a meal, handle domestic finances, take part in a debate, enjoy the theatre and use the internet.

I've said it before, why don' t they just keep kids in school all day and parents can check them out like library books when they want to play with them.    
 
Even more grievious than just the blatant outsourcing of parenthood, Tony Blair wants some students to be allowed to take an International Exam rather than the British  national exam. 
 
The International Baccalaureate is administered by an organization in Geneva.   (How convenient the UN Education Bureau is right there!)   The goal of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is to create IB World Schools.   The Director General, Jeff Beard, explains the demand for IBO,

Our programmes are shaped around creating "a better and more peaceful world" with a core determination to develop students who can create this better world through intercultural understanding and respect.  In essence, IB programmes are "fit for purpose" for the 21st century!

Started in the late 1960's IBO program is relatively small but the endorsement by the British government  is a huge step toward international curriculum and standards.   
 
Defenders of compulsory education might want to rethink their positition before US education officials decide to do the same.    As a parent, you may find yourself going before an international tribunal to appeal your child's bad grade because he still thinks God governs the affairs of men not the United Nations.   But you better hurry, George Bush looks like he has already signed up.     

The Bush administration has begun issuing grants to help spread a United Nations-sponsored school program that aims to become a "universal curriculum" for teaching global citizenship, peace studies and equality of world cultures.  The U.S. Education Department has issued its first $1.2 million grant to implement the European-based International Baccalaureate (IB) program in middle schools...

Mr. Hill, a former school administrator from Tasmania, Australia, said the role of international education and culture, is to fulfill the vision of UNESCO's constitution in its opening words: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed."  

The international leaders in cooperation with our "compassionate conservative" President wants to construct the minds of our children to conform to global standards of "peace."   I like the way  Brave New Schools explains it, 
The goal of education is no longer to teach the kind of literacy, wisdom and knowledge we once considered essentials of responsible citizenship.  It is to train world citizens--a compliant international workforce, willing to flow with the storms of change and uncertainty. These citizens must be ready to believe and do whatever will serve a pre-determined "common good" or "greater whole". Educators may promise to "teach students to think for themselves," but if they finish what they have started, tomorrow's students will have neither the facts nor the freedom needed for independent thinking. 
When they say prepare children to workers to compete in the global economy, they don't mean  jet-setting to Paris for a business meeting in the spring time.    They want to put the "world" into a world-class education.  
 
Parents are you going to let the United Nations teach your children?
 
For more information on the IBO click here. 

1 Comments and Trackbacks

posted by Leigh2 on Dec. 1, 2006 at 9:10 AM

Wow. It just gets scarier and scarier. Every time I get frustrated and consider sending my children to school, all I have to do is come to your blog and read for a while, and I remember why I am doing this in the first place. :o)

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