In an "ideal" democratic society, publicly funded schools serve many purposes. Aside from its educational mandate, schools are places for neighbourhood integration, social capital formation and the fostering of civil society. For newly arrived immigrants, especially those with young children, schools are important sites of settlement…

Discusses Canadian national unity and the social studies curriculum. Suggests regarding Canada as a political whole composed of many cultures. A new K-12 social studies curriculum, which includes a comprehensive program in Canadian citizenship, is needed. The elementary, middle, and secondary students would study citizenship, Canadian political…

Examines recent changes in history curriculum in Ontario, Canada. The curriculum decisions stress ethnicity and cultural pluralism in English Canadian society. The new curriculum for elementary school history and social science is entitled "Multiculturalism in Action," and the secondary curriculum includes a unit on Canada's…

Power, or influence, in educational governance is increasingly becoming diffused. Everyone in education now feels relatively powerless. A political model of decision-making, emphasizing consultation with representatives of interest groups is now appropriate. In this model, the school board functions as "meta-mediator." This modifies the…

The "International Society for the Social Studies Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. It contains the following papers: (1) Teacher Perceptions of Authentic Pedagogy: A Case Study of Professional Development in an African American High School's…