"Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, is familiar with this criticism. It prompted her comments Thursday that helped kill a bill to provide more funding for Utah's IB programs. In voting against HB266, she said she is 'opposed to the anti-American philosophy that's somehow woven into all the classes as they promote the U.N. agenda.' Dayton acknowledged Friday that she has never witnessed an IB class in session. She also said it's possible 'good things' are happening in the program. It's the language she says is associated with IB that galls.
She has a problem with the program's association with the International Baccalaureate Organization, based in Geneva. She issued a written statement Friday that contends Switzerland's replacement of its arbitration rules in 2004 with those of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law taint by extension the IB itself.
This means, she said, that high schools signing on to the IB program must also by extension submit any program disputes and frustrations at the local school level to U.N.-inspired regulations and the goal of creating 'global citizens.'
'I would like to have American citizens who know how to function in a global economy, not global citizens,' Dayton said." (Students say good things about IB - Salt Lake Tribune)
Remember that episode of MASH where Frank Burns rants about the UN?
When are Utahns going to wake up and kick these Birch society throwbacks out of office?
Damn that's several political posts in a row. The Utah Legislature must really be getting under my skin this year.
The Leg is getting under my skin, too. Has it sunk to a new low? A low, anyway. This morning there was a story about how the conservative response to the IB isn't just limited to Utah--also Pennsylvania and Virginia conservatives have the same complaint. Unbelievable.d
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Dayton is protecting us from any global cooperation and particularly global citizens. I mean how rude--Americans acting as if they are connected to the broader world which will surely detract from our ethnocentric, selfish focus on ourselves.
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