[PASSED] A Promotion of Basic Education

[Unibot]

5. Affirms the right of any citizen to leave their nation on their own accord to receive a basic education outside of their nation;on on the rights and education of the mentally and physical handicapped.

.... does Clause 5 allow criminals to leave their nation to receive a basic education?

maybe "non-imprisoned citizens", or ...",provided they are not under investigations lawful under international law or incarcerated"?

I think I'll leave it for now, and include it later, if I get a chance. As I've said, its probably better suited for an emigration proposal anyway.

[Unibot]

OOC: The Olympics are going to be working against unfortunately, Opening ceremonies start shortly, thus preoccupying the usual suspects for a campaign who GR has probably already hit using one of his dirty lil' scripts.

[Unibot]

OOC: Ok, you can submit that version on page 3, Sionis, but my real country is hosting the Olympics, and I want to enjoy the opening ceremonies. I'll start campaigning when they're over.

[Unibot]

Shit... Clause 3 ..

3. Establishes a division of the WA General Accounting Office (GAO), entitled the Global Initiative for Basic Education (GIBE) to oversee the creation, accuracy and continuance of a registrar that lists all member nations that are currently deemed to be genuinely unable to economically support the requirements of basic edification based on this document;

...Is from an earlier draft, it should not have been included, my bad. It doesn't hurt the draft, but it has the GIBE making some pointless list. Grrrr... I hate rushing proposals. Dammit.

[Hindopia]

Hindopia is very welcoming of this proposed legislation, and will fully support it. We can see nothing wrong with the current edition.

-Vargas Harrowsing WC, World Assembly Delegate for Hindopia

[Charlotte Ryberg]

The honored ambassador to Charlotte Ryberg has decided to approve both. Whichever version goes first is beyond our control but if Glen Rhodes' version is defeated then this may be the backup plan.

[Unibot]

The honored ambassador to Charlotte Ryberg has decided to approve both. Whichever version goes first is beyond our control but if Glen Rhodes' version is defeated then this may be the backup plan.

If Glen-Rhodes is defeated, I'll have to get a Security Council proposal up-to-vote so it can separate voting from two parallel education proposals.

[Mousebumples]

Shit... Clause 3 ..

3. Establishes a division of the WA General Accounting Office (GAO), entitled the Global Initiative for Basic Education (GIBE) to oversee the creation, accuracy and continuance of a registrar that lists all member nations that are currently deemed to be genuinely unable to economically support the requirements of basic edification based on this document;

...Is from an earlier draft, it should not have been included, my bad. It doesn't hurt the draft, but it has the GIBE making some pointless list. Grrrr... I hate rushing proposals. Dammit.

So long as this is the "back-up plan" to G-R's proposal, would it make sense to remove the current proposal from queue (even though it has reached quorum) and resubmit it in it's best possible form? Again, if G-R's proposal fails, it would probably serve this proposal best to be in optimal condition (in terms of having everything want within it).

Additionally, the original submitting was rushed due to G-R's submission of his older education proposal. Perhaps it would be worth waiting to see what objections (if any that are notable) come from the debate on G-R's proposal. They could then be taken into consideration for submission of this proposal.

[Unibot]

Shit... Clause 3 ..

3. Establishes a division of the WA General Accounting Office (GAO), entitled the Global Initiative for Basic Education (GIBE) to oversee the creation, accuracy and continuance of a registrar that lists all member nations that are currently deemed to be genuinely unable to economically support the requirements of basic edification based on this document;

...Is from an earlier draft, it should not have been included, my bad. It doesn't hurt the draft, but it has the GIBE making some pointless list. Grrrr... I hate rushing proposals. Dammit.

So long as this is the "back-up plan" to G-R's proposal, would it make sense to remove the current proposal from queue (even though it has reached quorum) and resubmit it in it's best possible form? Again, if G-R's proposal fails, it would probably serve this proposal best to be in optimal condition (in terms of having everything want within it).

Additionally, the original submitting was rushed due to G-R's submission of his older education proposal. Perhaps it would be worth waiting to see what objections (if any that are notable) come from the debate on G-R's proposal. They could then be taken into consideration for submission of this proposal.

It won't be deleted yet for strategic reasons. However I have no problems with asking for a deletion (prompting Sionis to ask for a deletion) if let's say GR withdraws his proposal (in Unicorn land) or there is complications with the proposal that are revealed while GR's is voted on and defeated.

[Quelesh]

I like this version much better. I can vote for it now.

Anyone taking bets on, if this passes, the length of time before a repeal attempt is submitted?

[Flibbleites]

I like this version much better. I can vote for it now.

Anyone taking bets on, if this passes, the length of time before a repeal attempt is submitted?

My money's on 10 minutes.

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[Urgench]

1. Declares that all citizens have the right to be educated, and thus be provided with the following capabilities through some sort of variation of edification...
• Comprehensive literacy skills and fluency in the official or popular language(s) of their nation;
• An understanding of basic arithmetical operations, geometrics and fundamental mathematics;
• Cognizance of financial mathematics and concepts, currency and economics that is appropriate to the economy of their nation;
• A familiarity with their nation’s governmental policies, processes, civics, rights and freedoms;
• A fair and impartial recollection of historical national and international events, politics and society;
• An accurate understanding of ecological life, nature and the environment;
• A fair and impartial familiarity to common cultural customs, beliefs and ideologies in their nation of residence and abroad;
• Knowledge of the geographical and/or astrographical characteristics of their surrounding environment, including natural, political and demographical characteristics;

The right to an education already exists in WA law, and this list is at best optional. Frankly we would rather it had not been included at all.

Primary education need have no element of civics, indeed it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that such instruction is worthless for persons un able to actually vote or formally participate in the political life of their nation.

We cannot stress enough, and this is an extremely important point, no such thing as "Impartial" or "Fair" familiarity with history or politics. To require teaching of these subjects o have such an outcome makes it impossible to teach thm at all.


We notice that amidst this list no mention is made of encouraging creativity, or of allowing children to explore the wealth of personal development creative arts and the study of culture can provide. Frankly we would feel much more comfortable with children being encouraged in this way than being educated in Ideology, "beliefs" which we take to mean superstitions and religion, and politics.


Yours,

[Unibot]

--Deleted--

[Unibot]

1. Declares that all citizens have the right to be educated, and thus be provided with the following capabilities through some sort of variation of edification...
• Comprehensive literacy skills and fluency in the official or popular language(s) of their nation;
• An understanding of basic arithmetical operations, geometrics and fundamental mathematics;
• Cognizance of financial mathematics and concepts, currency and economics that is appropriate to the economy of their nation;
• A familiarity with their nation’s governmental policies, processes, civics, rights and freedoms;
• A fair and impartial recollection of historical national and international events, politics and society;
• An accurate understanding of ecological life, nature and the environment;
• A fair and impartial familiarity to common cultural customs, beliefs and ideologies in their nation of residence and abroad;
• Knowledge of the geographical and/or astrographical characteristics of their surrounding environment, including natural, political and demographical characteristics;

The right to an education already exists in WA law, and this list is at best optional. Frankly we would rather it had not been included at all.

Primary education need have no element of civics, indeed it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that such instruction is worthless for persons un able to actually vote or formally participate in the political life of their nation.

We cannot stress enough, and this is an extremely important point, no such thing as "Impartial" or "Fair" familiarity with history or politics. To require teaching of these subjects o have such an outcome makes it impossible to teach thm at all.


We notice that amidst this list no mention is made of encouraging creativity, or of allowing children to explore the wealth of personal development creative arts and the study of culture can provide. Frankly we would feel much more comfortable with children being encouraged in this way than being educated in Ideology, "beliefs" which we take to mean superstitions and religion, and politics.


Yours,

Indeed, it makes no sense for people who have no rights to be educated on the rights of others. *rolls eyes* I'm surprised by your position on this issue, considering you're the author of the CoCR.

Impartial and fair would mean that the history lessons would not stretch the boundaries of truth with partisan goals and association in mind.

This proposal is not outlawing creative arts for education, and promoting creative arts in schools would make an excellent use of that artistic category for future reference.

[Unibot]

1. Declares that all citizens have the right to be educated, and thus be provided with the following capabilities through some sort of variation of edification...
• Comprehensive literacy skills and fluency in the official or popular language(s) of their nation;
• An understanding of basic arithmetical operations, geometrics and fundamental mathematics;
• Cognizance of financial mathematics and concepts, currency and economics that is appropriate to the economy of their nation;
• A familiarity with their nation’s governmental policies, processes, civics, rights and freedoms;
• A fair and impartial recollection of historical national and international events, politics and society;
• An accurate understanding of ecological life, nature and the environment;
• A fair and impartial familiarity to common cultural customs, beliefs and ideologies in their nation of residence and abroad;
• Knowledge of the geographical and/or astrographical characteristics of their surrounding environment, including natural, political and demographical characteristics;

The right to an education already exists in WA law, and this list is at best optional.

Please explain, Ambassador. *raises eyebrow*

[Quelesh]

I was so close to casting the first vote.

[Glen-Rhodes]

For those who are considering voting for A Promotion of Basic Education, or have already voted for it, take note of some simple fact: it is the most voluntary resolution the World Assembly would have ever passed, but it delivers itself in a mask of the promotion of education.

Take into account the following:

2. Further requires that member nations attempt to provide citizens of a nation the aforementioned education in the fullest possible form for any citizen that is mentally incapable, neurologically undeveloped, or otherwise incapable of learning or retaining within reason the fundamental aspects to a basic education;

I have added emphasis to the relevant part of Section 2. Although A Promotion of Basic Education leads you to believe that people are granted a right to education, and that nations must provide their people with an education, the above section completely reveals the true effect (or rather, non-effect) of the resolution. At it's most, the resolution only requires that nations attempt to provide an education. It does not require that nations follow through with the mandates written in A Promotion of Basic Education.

This means that nations can skirt around their responsibility to educate their citizens. Dictatorships will still be able to keep their people in the dark; an educated people will revolt, so they choose to not educate them. All they have to do is attempt to educate them, and that attempt does not have to be serious; they could, for all it matters, simply say they plan to educate them, but then not follow through with anything. So, if you are considering voting for, or already have voted for, A Promotion of Basic Education, because you believe it actually provides people with a right of education, or that it actually promotes education, I hope you reconsider the facts of the proposal: it doesn't do either; it doesn't require that nations actually provide an education. This major flaw is a result of the author spending no more than 24 hours writing the proposal, when most authors spend weeks writing theirs.

If this passes, the World Assembly is stuck with it, unless, by some gift from the Gods, we are able to repeal it and replace it. The World Assembly cannot go back and amend it. We cannot pass another, better education resolution, either. We already repealed a flawed "The Right to Education". Let's not pass another lackluster, flawed resolution to replace it. I strongly suggest that delegates and members vote against A Promotion of Basic Education, for the above reasons.

Dr. Bradford William Castro

Ambassador-at-Large,
Permanent Chief of Mission for World Assembly affairs,
the Commonwealth of Glen-Rhodes

[Flibbleites]

The Rogue Nation of Flibbleites is still perfectly capable of running its educational system without WA involvement. Therefore we vote AGAINST.

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[Quelesh]

For those who are considering voting for A Promotion of Basic Education, or have already voted for it, take note of some simple fact: it is the most voluntary resolution the World Assembly would have ever passed, but it delivers itself in a mask of the promotion of education.

Take into account the following:

2. Further requires that member nations attempt to provide citizens of a nation the aforementioned education in the fullest possible form for any citizen that is mentally incapable, neurologically undeveloped, or otherwise incapable of learning or retaining within reason the fundamental aspects to a basic education;

I have added emphasis to the relevant part of Section 2. Although A Promotion of Basic Education leads you to believe that people are granted a right to education, and that nations must provide their people with an education, the above section completely reveals the true effect (or rather, non-effect) of the resolution. At it's most, the resolution only requires that nations attempt to provide an education. It does not require that nations follow through with the mandates written in A Promotion of Basic Education.

This means that nations can skirt around their responsibility to educate their citizens. Dictatorships will still be able to keep their people in the dark; an educated people will revolt, so they choose to not educate them. All they have to do is attempt to educate them, and that attempt does not have to be serious; they could, for all it matters, simply say they plan to educate them, but then not follow through with anything. So, if you are considering voting for, or already have voted for, A Promotion of Basic Education, because you believe it actually provides people with a right of education, or that it actually promotes education, I hope you reconsider the facts of the proposal: it doesn't do either; it doesn't require that nations actually provide an education. This major flaw is a result of the author spending no more than 24 hours writing the proposal, when most authors spend weeks writing theirs.

If this passes, the World Assembly is stuck with it, unless, by some gift from the Gods, we are able to repeal it and replace it. The World Assembly cannot go back and amend it. We cannot pass another, better education resolution, either. We already repealed a flawed "The Right to Education". Let's not pass another lackluster, flawed resolution to replace it. I strongly suggest that delegates and members vote against A Promotion of Basic Education, for the above reasons.

But, Dr. Castro, does not the highlighted phrase establish that the "attempt to provide" clause only applies to those "mentally incapable," etc.?

[Sionis Prioratus]

*rant snip*

But, Dr. Castro, does not the highlighted phrase establish that the "attempt to provide" clause only applies to those "mentally incapable," etc.?

Your Excellency, that phenomenon is called creative truth-telling: the Esteemed Ambassador from Glen-Rhodes reads things that are not written on the things he produces, while at the same time being incapable of reading what so clearly delineated on others' texts.

Yours,

[Glen-Rhodes]

But, Dr. Castro, does not the highlighted phrase establish that the "attempt to provide" clause only applies to those "mentally incapable," etc.?

True. But is there anything stopping a dictatorship from declaring its people "otherwise incapable of learning"? And still yet does the resolution actually require member nations to provide an education? No, it does not. It says that citizens must "... be provided with the following capabilities through some sort of variation of edification". "Some sort of variation of edification". For all that the author put on vagueness in their opposition to the Primary Education Act, the only biting details of his own proposal are so vague as to allow nations to not even build a school, yet still be in compliance with the proposal.

It does not do anything to promote educational standards. It merely requires a nation to provide such-and-such abilities, but not to make sure such abilities are being taught in any sort of educational way. While my previous argument may not be applied to the entire proposal, the points of the argument do. The lack of any substantive debate on this proposal has led to its submission with clear flaws, and those flaws make the entire proposal essentially voluntary.

Dr. Bradford William Castro

Ambassador-at-Large,
Permanent Chief of Mission for World Assembly affairs,
the Commonwealth of Glen-Rhodes

[Quelesh]

I suppose an argument could be made against it based on the fact that section 1 states that citizens "have the right" to an education, but does not specifically state that governments are required to provide it. I would counter, though, that if citizens have a right to something, enshrined in international law, then it is incumbent upon governments to provide it, or to ensure that it is provided in one way or another.

[Quelesh]

But is there anything stopping a dictatorship from declaring its people "otherwise incapable of learning"?

I understand your point, Dr. Castro, but if a nation were to try to create a loophole in that regard, that nation would be widely recognized as being in violation of the resolution. (And if a government did declare all its citizens "incapable of learning" for the purpose of this resolution, that would be something that an ICJ could decide, if we could ever pass one.)

And still yet does the resolution actually require member nations to provide an education? No, it does not. It says that citizens must "... be provided with the following capabilities through some sort of variation of edification". "Some sort of variation of edification". For all that the author put on vagueness in their opposition to the Primary Education Act, the only biting details of his own proposal are so vague as to allow nations to not even build a school, yet still be in compliance with the proposal.

I would be loathe, though, to support a resolution that specified exactly what form that education should take. Many nations are able to provide a quality education to their citizens without very many schools, for example.

[Sionis Prioratus]

Frankly, I fail to see why The Esteemed & Beloved Beyond Belief Ambassador from Glen-Rhodes is so worried; should this pass, Glen-Rhodes will simply blatantly non-comply, as it has done numerous times in the past. Respect for international law was never a grave concern for Glen-Rhodes.

Refute me, and I shall produce proof. (No editing, please. I have everything saved.) Spare Your Excellency's energies.

Yours,

[Glen-Rhodes]

I suppose an argument could be made against it based on the fact that section 1 states that citizens "have the right" to an education, but does not specifically state that governments are required to provide it. I would counter, though, that if citizens have a right to something, enshrined in international law, then it is incumbent upon governments to provide it, or to ensure that it is provided in one way or another.

Again, "in one way or another". I mentioned that a dictatorship, with a vested interest in not education its people, will easily skirt around complying with this proposal: it's 'variation of edification' could easily be a tin-board classroom without a teacher, but with some books on 'comprehensive literacy'. The vagueness of the right and how it must be followed through with by nations is a serious flaw, one that even plagued the Primary Education Act. Would you not rather see a resolution with actual mandates, than one pasted together quickly without adequate attention to what was actually being made. Especially considering that the main opposition of the Primary Education were the author and the original supporters of this proposal, who believed that the broadness of the Primary Education Act's courses was a major flaw.

Based on some preliminary research, the top delegates voted down the Primary Education Act because they did not the believe the World Assembly should delve into matters of education policy. I hope that research was solid enough to ensure the failure of this measure. But, if not, I would rather the World Assembly didn't pass a resolution put together with not even 1% the effort it should have been given. There are clearly flaws in this proposal, even outside of the vagueness of its main language.

Ambassador Redwood from the Bears Armed delegation would probably be horrified to see that A Promotion of Basic Education does not include an oversight panel, and thus, in his opinion, would lead to member nations subsidizing the failed policies of other member nations. And although I disagree with that opinion, it is something that many nations consider a large flaw.

Furthermore, going back to Section 2, there is a serious lack of attention given to the mentally and physically handicapped. For some reason, we are stopping just short of actually mandating nations provide those persons with an education. I am sure, had there been any greater amount of time for debate, this would have been changed. The World Assembly would have followed its own precedent of treating all persons equal under law. This proposal fails in following through with promoting education for the mentally and physically handicapped.

Dr. Bradford William Castro

Ambassador-at-Large,
Permanent Chief of Mission for World Assembly affairs,
the Commonwealth of Glen-Rhodes