Categories helpful in describing English schools are discussed in an attempt to clarify ways in which schools can be "open." Topics include: (1) buildings; (2) curriculum; (3) parent-teacher relations; (4) staff deployment; (5) community schools; (6) student-teacher relations; (7) staff relations; and (8) teaching. (Author/SDH)

Describes the experiences of a college instructor required by government regulations to return to the classroom for one year. Discusses initial problems in establishing control in an open plan primary school and eventual successes in teaching composition and multicultural education. Recommendations are made for inservice and preservice teacher…

An interview of Alice Murton, one of the pioneers of English informal education, and a director of the National Froebel Foundation in London; her work as infant teacher, headmistress, and HMI spanned some 50 years. (Author/JM)

Attempts to move away from a model of change in English and Welsh primary education that relies heavily on the impact of strong personalities. Tries to identify a range of contextual or structural features of the English and Welsh systems that facilitate the spread of progressive ideas. (DSK)

A brief overview of the mainstream of development in English primary education in the last 10-15 years is presented and linked to broader educational developments that have facilitated the establishment of teacher centers. (MM)

Suggestions are presented that are drawn from basic skills instruction at the English Learning Centre at Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology (England), an open learning center geared specifically for ESOL students. Funded for 2 years as a special project by the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit, the center examines procedures that…

An American professor reports on English Primary Schools. His comments are based upon observations made on a variety of English educational institutions as a result of his role as visiting scholar at the Institute of Education at the University of London. Highlighted in his report is the underlying value conflict between Plowden-oriented primary…

A foremost author on the subject of the British primary school movement addresses himself to teachers, parents, administrators, school board members, and to the general public outside Great Britain--to all those with a mind open to the possibility of change but with a strong determination not to change unless good cause can be shown for it. He…

Describes a college curriculum in which formal examinations are abolished (students are assessed by the work presented in assignments) and certificates at the Bachelor Degree level do not differentiate between pass and honours students. (LS)

An increasing number of student places is only one measure of openness in a university. The institution must continue to investigate which groups of people are prevented from even applying, and why this is so. Although the number of applicants for 1976 was high, it included a large percentage of previous applicants, while the number of new…

This document includes special references to British open classrooms. (MK)

This paperback presents a cross-cultural analysis of early childhood education, focusing on the public primary educational systems in England and the United States. American failures and English successes are emphasized. Differences in teacher preparation, curriculum control, and classroom freedom are discussed. The English system is analyzed…

Describes public library services in England that provide open learning materials, appropriate computer hardware, and trained staff for adult independent education. Topics include mentoring by community librarians, development of a learning environment, support for learners, links with other organizations, and fees. (LRW)

Examines the rise and fall of the open education movement of the 1960s and 1970s, considering the lessons that current school reformers might take from it. The paper notes that contemporary educational research indicates children can and should be taught in the ways they learn best, and it is time to reconsider the benefits of open education. (SM)

A system was developed in the Open Learning Centres to make resources and instructional materials available to adult basic education (ABE) students. The materials were organized so that information could be provided to students to help them make choices among the items. Initially, a color coding system was devised, but it was found that it was not…