This article introduces the topic of the special issue, 'Public education at the crossroads', by pointing to some of the debates and controversies surrounding the topic of public education and by framing the theme, while explaining the context and some components of the educational systems of the countries under examination -- namely the USA and…

Volume I begins with the Commissioner of Education's introduction. Education and the war are covered, with focus on mobilizing the intellectual resources of the nation, school children and crop production, the schools and food conservation, school attendance, and reaching public understanding through the schools. Discussion on educational surveys…