This document describes the ways in which Japan and the German nations have taught the history of World War II. According to the document, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) took a pro-communist and anti-fascist approach to the subject. At the same time, the Western Allies pressured the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to institute a…

Literature on the hidden curriculum suggests an essential meaning behind either "unintended consequences" or "latent functions" of formal curricula, but this claim is largely unfounded. Four major perspectives underpin studies in this area: functionalism, Marxism, humanitarianism, and existentialism. This paper demonstrates how…

Care and education for young children is often understood primarily as a commodity to be provided in the marketplace, or as a kind of factory to produce human capital. But institutions for children and young people can also serve a very different role. They can be understood as forums for democratic political practice. This is a choice that we, as…

This study, part of a larger research project on political socialization in Europe, examines the role of educational materials in informing individuals in the Netherlands about the political system of the European Community. The report covers five topics: (1) educational materials; (2) educational materials in an ends-means model of formal…

Describes a study of 14 fifth graders concerning their understanding and attitudes toward the Persian Gulf War. Finds that the public school served as a significant socialization agent during the war, although television was even more important. Concludes that patriotic issues and activities overshadowed any attempts to have students think…

Describes textbooks of both East and West Germany from 1949-56, 1957-62, 1963-69, and 1970 on. Discusses a shift in West German texts from intense antagonism during the Cold War to a more critical comparison by the 1980s. Compares East German text development that increased in hostility over time, viewing West Germany as a negative alternative to…

Summarizes a study using the Children's Scale of Social Attitudes to compare the factor structure of conservatism in seventh-grade Israeli children of Western ethnic origin with Israeli children from Eastern cultural backgrounds. Results indicated a marked similarity in factor structures reconfirming the universal nature of general conservatism…

An analysis of 50 textbooks used in the elementary schools of the former Belgian Congo reveals an overt attempt to propagate colonial ideology. Fundamental themes included the legitimacy of the colonization, denigration of the indigenous culture, and establishment of colonial authority. Three books, however, resisted this indoctrination and one…

A broad survey of democratic political attitudes of United States and West German students was developed jointly by the Governmental Education Division of the Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia and the Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung in Bonn. This survey sought to probe twelfth-year students' attitudes toward…

Explores the different status and validity accorded to various subjects in Hong Kong secondary schools and the structure and ideology that supports this system. Argues that the curriculum continues to promote the characteristics of direct state control even though efforts have been extended to change it. (MJP)

Describes the integrated comprehensive school (ICS) in Germany, where, as of 1988, 90 percent of all students attended traditional schools. Traces the history of comprehensive schools in Germany and examines their philosophy and objectives. States comprehensive schooling cannot create equal social entitlements but can encourage all students to…

Describes the history and role of human rights education in Latin America. Links these efforts with relevant political histories, cultural phenomena, and social movements. Maintains that occurrence human rights violations are a basic initial stimulus for human rights education. (CFR)

Discusses the sometimes brutal, sometimes idealistic attempts by early Soviet revolutionaries to conscript the home and family into the Marxist educational system. Programs ranged from the benign (teaching peasant children new crops) to the totalitarian (extending criminal prosecution to the age of 12). Briefly covers later periods. (MJP)

Summarizes early Soviet Russia's first attempts to formulate and implement a national policy regarding higher education. Immediately following the revolution Soviet educational policy was often chaotic and contradictory as authorities tried to inculcate Marxist-Leninist ideology. Discusses the contributions of the Red Professorship Institutes and…

Reports on the implementation of the education with production (EWP) curriculum reform 13 years after its implementation in eight pilot schools in Zimbabwe. EWP attempted to foster socialist principles, redress colonial mentality, and inculcate industrial and technical skills. Poor planning, political interference, and lack of support hurt the…