Documents in this section:
- IABT Curriculum Guidelines
- Standards for Education
- Code of Professional Conduct
- Complaint Procedures
The International Affiliation of Biodynamic Trainings supports quality throughout the process of educating new practitioners. IABT uses a decentralized model to cultivate quality, relying on the member schools to create and maintain effective and safe learning environments.
This document describes the basic principles by which IABT programs are operated.
Principle 1: Administrative policies
IABT schools have published management and financial policies including admission policies, summary of costs and payment terms, refund policies, complaint procedures, and policies for termination. A signed Enrollment Agreement is used before any class begins, to document the mutual understanding between student and school. Student records are kept in a secure and confidential location and in an orderly manner.
Principle 2: Course content
The actual curriculum for any program is the responsibility of the school, not IABT. IABT schools are generally oriented to the IABT Course Guidelines and the literature in the field as the basis for course content. Some schools have placed descriptive materials in the Resources section of this web site; check back occasionally for additional materials or updates in the Resources section. Schools are expected to develop written or audio-visual course materials for their students. Schools are expected to develop methods for determining graduate competency, including feedback opportunities, tests and other methods.
Principle 3: Peer consultation
IABT schools will have formal relationships with at least one other IABT school for the purpose of consulting on administrative practices and course content. Consultation between schools is a primary method for developing sound practices and advancing the nature of the work. The name of the consulting school is available to the students.
Principle 4: Code of Professional Conduct
IABT schools are dedicated to high standards of Professional conduct. Each school has a formal written code, often derived from its status within its regulatory framework (usually a professional association or state agency). IABT schools and their employees adhere to each school's Code of Professional Ethics in all respects. Students are taught to be ethical and responsible with their clients and with each other.
Principle 5: Emphasis on experiential learning
IABT schools maximize contact between students and teachers and teaching assistants. Programs will endeavor to have qualified teaching teams with a student/teacher ratio of about 5:1 or less. Schools are responsible for qualifying, training and managing their own faculty and support staff.
