863-382-0283

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2. The IB Program International Baccalaureate

3. Constitutional Issues The IB program violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The IB program violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. For more than fifty years court rulings have overturned the teaching of values in public schools because of their religious nature. • Further study of the IB may be pursued here: http://truthaboutib.com/home.html

4. The IB Mission Statement “The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world throughintercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizationsto develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understandthat other people, with their differences, can also be right.” Note the stunning banality of the last statement.

5. IB Strategy “The IB has seen tremendous planned growth in the past five years, delivering successful performance through a strong focus on quality, access and infrastructure. The new strategy builds upon our successes and ensures that the IB has a clear direction for the next five years. At its heart lies our ambition to establish the IB as a global leader in international education. To achieve this, the IB Board of Governors has endorsed thevision together with a set of strategic goals and strategic objectives.” Throughout the description of the IB program there is the use of religious terminology, e.g. values, vision, ethics, and beliefs.

6. IB Goals “The IB seeks to proactively engage like-minded donors, schools, universities, non-governmental organizations, and ministries to develop specialized educational programmes that promote concept-based, student-centered, and internationally-minded education… Note the paradox of claiming that the program is at once student-centered and also internationally-minded. The IB is committed to sustaining quality and building a world class infrastructure to respond to our schools’ needs, but is also conscious of the need to respond to the reality that the organization operates in a less than fair world.”  In the view of the IB program the fundamental sin abroad in the world is its unfairness.

7. IB Believer Profile LP 1 “The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The attributes of the profile express the valuesinherent to the IB continuum of international education: these are values that should infuse all elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme and, therefore, the culture and ethos of all IB World Schools.” There is here anadvocacy of the teaching of IB values at all levels of the educational system…..primary, middle, and secondary. The values of IB program are deliberately aimed at changing the culture and ethos of all participating schools, administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

8. IB Believer Profile LP 1 “The learner profile provides a long-term vision of education. It is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers uniting them in a common purpose.” The website of the IB program repeatedly uses far reaching religious terminology to which a continuous appeal is made: ‘long term vision, ideals, beliefs, uniting, and common purpose.’

9. IB Believer Profile LP 1 “With the development of a continuum of international education, it is intended that teachers, students and parents will be able to draw confidently on a recognizable common educational framework, a consistent structure of aims and valuesand an overarching concept of how to develop international-mindedness. The IB learner profile will be at the heart of this common framework, as a clear and concise statement of the aims and values of the IB, and an embodiment of what the IB means by “international-mindedness.” The IB believer profile serves the purpose of a religious creed or confessional statement. The purpose of the program is not to identify or study international-mindedness, but to produce it in program participants in whom it was previously absent. There is a certain missionary zeal in this objective.

10. Aims: IB Believer Profile LP1 “IB programmes promote the education of the whole person, emphasizing intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth through all domains of knowledge.” Note that the purpose of the program is inwardly directed at the student and teaches that there are multiple ‘domains of knowledge’ when in fact there is only one ‘domain of knowledge.’ “By focusing on the dynamic combination of knowledge, skills, independent critical and creative thought and international-mindedness, the IB espouses the principle of educating the whole person for a life of active, responsible citizenship.” The IB believer is evaluated in a manner consistent with a sort of 1970s Gestalt Psychology and would be found inadequate or wanting if he or she embraced any other values.

11. IB Believer LP2 “The values and attitudes of the school community that underpin the culture and ethos of a school are significant in shaping the future of its young people. In a school that has a commitment to the values inherent in the IB learner profile, these values will be readily apparent in classroom and assessment practices, the daily life, management and leadership of the school. The IB believes that the learner profile will provide a shared vision that will encourage dialogue and collaboration among teachers and administrators about how to create the best environment for learning.” The values, attitudes, culture, ethos, and shared vision of the IB program are accompanied by a certain teleology of a reshaped or shaped future of fairness and social justice.

12. IB Believer LP 2 “The learner profile provides a tool for whole-school reflection and analysis. Individual teachers, faculty groups, school administrators and school governors should ask themselves To what extent doour philosophy, our school structures and systems, our curriculum and units of workenable studentsand the adults who implement the programmes,to develop into the learner described in the profile?” There are strong religious aspects of self examination in the IB program. The expressed goal is to shape the learner, not to expand his knowledge. How is this different from the Apostle Paul saying, “Let a man examine himself….and work out his own salvation with fear and trembling?”

13. IB Believer LP 4 “Successful implementation of the IB learner profile in a school will result in a learning environment in which the aims and values of the IB programmes are strongly evident and embraced by all members of the community.” Note that the program aims and values are directed at all participants: administrators, parents, teachers, and students. “This is the challenge for both IB World Schools and the IB. We all must strive to put into practice what we believe.” The religious aspects of the IB program are entirely transparent. It simply is not credible to suggest that the IB program is anything other than a faith/belief system.

14. IB Believer LP5 “The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.” While the common humanity of all mankind may be established merely by observation it does not follow that they participate in a ‘shared guardianship of the planet.’ It is ordinarily the case that the assignment of universal responsibility militates against specific accountability. Moreover, it is not an established fact that any individual or group of individuals have it within their power to ‘create a better and more peaceful world.’ To allege that they do is to assign to one, to some, or to all a certain redemptive power (which is yet another religious notion). Nor is there any evidence of salvic powers resident in IB values.

15. Specifics:IB Believers strive to be:

16. Inquirers LP 5 “They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.” For the IB believer truly critical thinking ought to require a systematic examination of all values and beliefs including the transcendental values of the IB program. This examination however, is not present.

17. Knowledgeable LP 5 “They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance.” “In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.” The principle focus of the IB believer is required to be ‘global.’ Local issues not having ‘global significance’ are not explored or require less attention. The IB believer is also perceived as one who investigates concepts, ideas and issues rather than the objective universe. The IB believer is directed more to the study of opinions than to the study of what is or what was.

18. Thinkers LP 5 “They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.” We have been told by Courts for more than fifty years that ethical decisions are inherently religious and should not be taught in public schools because they violate the establishment clause. The IB program is saturated with as much religious belief as Judaism or Christianity. Why the IB program is acceptable and Judaism and Christianity are not acceptable in public schools is not clear. Moreover it is highly unlikely that any public school teacher is qualified to teach any course in ethical decision making since the study of deontology at both the collegiate and post-graduate level is quite rare.

19. Communicators LP 5 “They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication.” BHO evidently did not get this memo and never mastered the language of ‘Austrian.’ Those who advocate the idea of multiple languages are often those least qualified to do so. “They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.” Many historical examples may be adduced of individuals making break through discoveries largely on their own. The emphasis here is that the IB believer should strive to work with others rather than on his own.

20. Principled LP 5 “They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of individuals, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.” The principled IB believer is one who must see fairness, justice, and respect as transcendental values and one who must accept the notion of social justice. In reality, when a man prepares to do an injustice to another man through use of the powers of the state he is deeply embarrassed by the temerity of the act and merely calls the deed ‘social justice.’

21. Open-minded LP 5 “They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.” The IB believer is engaged in an exploration of many opinions, but chiefly his own, while an empiricist is engaged in an exploration of truths about what is or was.

22. Caring LP 5 “They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.” The IB believer’s empathy, compassion and respect is redemptive of the planet. There also does seem in this view to be redemptive power resident in the intentions of the IB believer.

23. Risk-takers LP 5 “They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.” The profile of the IB believer anticipates a person capable of both apologetics and polemics for the advance of this ideology. Both of these disciplines are inherent in every belief, religious or faith system. This type of advocacy appears to be more central to the program than the mastery of specific fields of study.

24. Balanced LP5 “They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.” This portion of the IB believer profile sounds very much like Gestalt Psychology of the 1970s, which was rationalism applied to the field of psychology. In the presentation of the IB program, the believers are inwardly focused on themselves and on the idea that the whole person is greater than the sum of his parts. The goal envisioned here of academic pursuits is personal well being rather than the accumulation of knowledge…..a dubious notion at best.

25. Reflective LP5 “They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.” The principle difficulty or limitations of the IB believer is the uncertainty of knowledge.

26. Theory of Knowledge Course “The theory of knowledge course is designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical).” These statements are nonsense. None of the listed ‘ways of knowing’ is a way of knowing and knowledge itself is undifferentiated.

27. Theory of Knowledge Course In the end there is only one kind of knowledge: knowledge of that which is so. Knowledge of that which is not so may be called a belief, hope, desire, anticipation, assumption, presumption, or error, etc., but it may not be called knowledge. Whereas the IB believer is taught to define a considered opinion as knowledge, the empiricist regards knowledge as an accurate assessment of what is or what was, and is not interested in what ought to be. He may have an opinion of what ought to be, but would never consider his opinion to be ‘knowledge.’

28. Theory of Knowledge Course “The interdisciplinary Theory of Knowledge course is designed to develop a coherent approach to learning that transcends and unifies the academic areas and encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives.” “The theory of knowledge course is in part intended to encourage students to reflect on the huge cultural shifts worldwide around the digital revolution and the information economy. The extent and impact of the changes vary greatly in different parts of the world, but everywhere their implications for knowledge are profound.” All fields of academic study are united, but not by the rationalist epistemology of the theory of knowledge course. All fields of academic study are united by the objective universe. It is impossible to know anything that is not so.

29. Theory of Knowledge Course “Theory of knowledge encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself and aims to help young people make sense of that they encounter. Its core content focuses on questions such as the following: What counts as knowledge? How does it grow? What are its limits? Who owns knowledge? What is the value of knowledge? What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?” The theory of Knowledge Course appears to teach the uncertainty of knowledge without providing a clear statement of the actual processes of knowledge. The ownership of knowledge question (does there exist a property right in knowledge?) is almost an entire discipline by itself, and is routinely hotly debated and is far more advanced than is appropriate for High School students.

30. Theory of Knowledge Course “Theory of Knowledge activities and discussions aim to help students discover and express their views on knowledge issues. The course encourages students to share ideas with others and to listen and learn from what others think. In this process students' thinking and their understanding of knowledge as a human construction are shaped, enriched and deepened. Connections may be made between knowledge encountered in different Diploma Programme subjects, in Creativity, Action and Service experience or in extended essay research; distinctions between different kinds of knowledge may be clarified.” In the IB belief system knowledge is an interpreted and differentiated human construction and bears no apparent necessary connection with the objective universe.

31. Theory of Knowledge Course “The theory of knowledge course requirement is central to the educational philosophy of the Diploma Programme.It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to: reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge and consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world.” The astonishing statement is made here which suggests that knowledge is culturally conditioned….an absurd notion that is a throw back to the dark ages.

32. Theory of Knowledge Course “In addition, it prompts students to: be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge as theyrecognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world.” “As a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, Theory of knowledge course is composed almost entirely of questions. The most central of these is ‘How do we know?’” It is invariably rationalists who take the view of the extraordinary complexity of knowledge, with a plethora of ways of knowing and differing kinds of knowledge. For the empiricist knowledge is comparatively straightforward. The complexity for the rationalist comes always in defining exactly how he knows things in advance of grappling with any evidence or any facts.

33. Theory of Knowledge Course “It is a stated aim of Theory of Knowledge that students should become aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases, regardless of whether, ultimately, these biases are retained, revised or rejected. Theory of Knowledge also has an important role to play in providing coherence for the student as it transcends and links academic subject areas, thus demonstrating the ways in which they can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility.” The idea of multiple kinds of knowledge unattached to the objective universe which include biases and interpretations all of which are culturally conditioned render knowledge uncertain at best and practically useless. The only unifying aspect of knowledge as presented are the values/beliefs of the IB program.

34. Epistemology? What we have shown to be the case so far is that the IB program is only one kind of epistemology. It is a rationalist epistemology which believes in international mindedness which accepts the unfairness of the world and is committed to the teleology that ‘social justice’ precipitates a better and more peaceful world. It is instruction in a certain faith and belief system in which salvic power resides in the values and actions of the believers. No credible study of epistemology is complete without a look at both major competing epistemologies. What is offered next is a very short course in real epistemology.

35. A Short Course in Real Epistemology ‘Epistemology’ means words about knowledge It comes from two Greek words:επιστημι + λογοι knowledge + words It is the discipline which explores the idea of how we know the things which we know. This is an academic discipline not a general sharing of random opinions and predispositions.

36. Two Epistemologies There are only two basic epistemologies. • Rationalisma priori before the facts 2. Empiricisma posteriori after the facts All other views are some variation of one of these two epistemologies.

37. Rationalism This is the view that knowledge that we have is anterior to observation, experience, and experiment. The Rationalist does not find knowledge in the objective universe, but by an inward examination of himself. He claims to know things prior to observation, experience, and experimentation. This view prevailed throughout most of history until the Enlightenment. The Rationalist finds the source of all authority and all knowledge within himself. The Theory of Knowledge Course teaches a rationalist epistemology.

38. Empiricism Empiricism arose at the time of the Enlightenment 1500-1750 AD and constitutes the foundation of Western Civilization. The founding fathers embraced empiricism (see Federalist #6) The Empiricist claims that apart from observation, experience, and experimentation he knows nothing. The empiricist is focused outward on every aspect of the universe as it is or was, and is disinterested in his own emotional, physical and intellectual state. The Empiricist finds the source of all authority, knowledge, and moral obligation in the objective universe (most empiricists take a deontological as opposed to an utilitarian approach). Both the atheist empiricist and the theist empiricist acknowledge that the objective universe bears moral content. The atheist finds moral content in natural laws of universal humanity, and the theist finds moral content in the whole of the universe put there by its Author.

39. Empirical Tools of Knowledge Observation, Experience, and Experimentation Two Types of Reasoning Resident within Man: Inductive Reasoning: an inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances Deductive Reasoning: a conclusion based on at least two premises Before we may assert that we know anything our theory produced by observation and induction must be confirmed and sustained by as many of the tools of knowledge as possible. If one fact, observation, experience, or experiment is unexplained by our theory, we must generate a new theory that explains allof the evidence. The empirical tools of knowledge are largely evidentiary.

40. Knowledge is a Process not Punctiliar Induction Deduction Induction Deduction Induction Deduction Knowledge is not absolute but a matter of high probability

41. Conclusions The IB program teaches a rationalist epistemology (philosophy) called existentialism which is the view that…in an accidental and disorganized universe of dubious or uncertain knowledge men create their own values as they wrestle with the exigencies of their own being, and that the values which are chosen are all equally valid and of moral indifference. It is not merely unwise to preach this deeply religious philosophy to teenagers in public schools, it is a violation of the Constitution as well. The empiricist, in contrast to this, finds the source of all values in the objective universe. (Natural Law) These values which are thought to reside in natural law are under continuous review and debate. The field of derivative moral obligation is the field of deontology.

42. More Conclusions IN FAIRNESS: The IB program does not teach a pure existentialism or a pure moral relativism. There are transcendental values taught by the IB program and they include the ideas that the world is deeply unfair, that all persons should seek ‘international mindedness,’ ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice,’ and that the individual can create world peace and heal the planet (a teleology of redemption). If we were to reach for a single description of this philosophy we might call it existential progressivism because of its teleological aspect. The fact that knowledge of the empiricist is not absolute but a matter of high probability does not mean that we live in an uncertain universe or that we create our own values as a coping mechanism. The suggestion that men may redeem the planet under any circumstances is absurd and can only be made by a total disregard of historical facts.

43. Academic Excellence The IB program does not establish why the instruction in its epistemology and ideology is necessary to a challenging advanced academic program. The Administrators and Educators of School systems have apparently accepted the IB program largely because they have not had the motivation, initiative, or the academic firepower to produce an advanced academic program of their own. Instead, they accepted the pre-packaging of the IB program along with its toxic epistemology and ideology.

44. True Purpose? Why does the Globalist IB program focus on teaching a rationalist epistemology? Answer: All forms of statism, despotism, or tyranny depend on rationalist epistemology because it vests authority in man rather than in the natural laws of an objective universe. Sustained periods of dominant empiricism militate against and destroy statist societies, and initiate periods of liberty.

45. Constitutional Issues The IB program violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The IB program violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. For more than fifty years court rulings have overturned the teaching of values in public schools because of their religious nature. Further study of the IB may be pursued here: http://truthaboutib.com/home.html Why is the IB Program allowed?