The Federal Direct Student Loan Program is not an improvement over the Federal Family Education Loan Program and is doomed to fail as did a similar large-scale federal program 33 years ago. The program will not save money; the government is ill-equipped to manage it; it has been pushed past its demand; and schools do not want the change. (MSE)

Prospects for state legislatures' treatment of higher education issues are charted for all states with regular legislative sessions. Information provided includes the legislative session dates, summary budget requests, outlook for the budget request, other key higher education issues likely to be addressed, and private college issues under…

Examines how negative views of government and the public sector are affecting educational governance. Reviews social and political trends undermining support for public schools. Presents a new definition of governance that realistically portrays the politics of educational leadership by acknowledging the roles of public and private sectors,…

The "disappearance" of civic America and atrophy of face-to-face associational life have become major social concerns. Meanwhile, governmental systems are decentralizing, and education remains very political. Striving to reinvigorate civic education for youth is not enough. Educators must further democratize education by involving…

Internet 2, a project intended to provide member universities with new computer network services and faster connections, is criticized for growing too large and too difficult to administer cooperatively. Its organizers are working closely with the Clinton Administration's Next Generation Internet Initiative, but some lawmakers feel the program is…

Argues that the fact that there are more Japanese students studying in the United States than there are U.S. students in Japan is not a problem in itself, but that the United States should develop and sustain its expertise on Japan. Educators and exchange specialists should cooperate to expand academic, work-study, and internship programs in…

Explicates the mercantilist ideology of the Japanese elite and its impact on Japanese trade policy. Offers a textured portrait of the world view of a particular elite: Japan's technocrats. Reveals a nationalist ideology that is not advertised by its adherents, especially to foreign observers such as in the United States. (MJP)

Considers the impact of information technology, particularly the Web, on distance education in higher education. Topics include the future of public education; criticism of education based on societal anger, political ambition, and the profit motive in the private sector; and the relationship between education and business. (LRW)

Depicts the problems encountered by a Soviet history teacher whose textbooks and materials have not kept pace with the policy of Glasnost and student attitudes. Suggests that textbooks be replaced with original documents, scholarly articles, and memoirs. (SLM)

A content analysis of selected German translations of six Chinese primary school textbooks, used from 1963 to 1982, assessed the socializing functions of qualification, integration, and identification. Categories involved include professional, moral, cultural, family, school, associations, China as a unified nation, China's achievements, and…

Critical theory is applied to determine why larger numbers of children are now identified as having special needs; acquiring such labels is found to be the result of complex social, economic, and political considerations. Explanations for educational problems are offered at three levels: personal/interpersonal, environmental/institutional, and…

An institutional political process model for comparing social welfare policies is presented. Principal elements include each country's societal values, government institutions (operationalized as the role of interest groups), policy goals, and welfare system type. The model is demonstrated through a comparison of the dissimilar social welfare…

Brings together critical theory and sociohistorical and sociocultural theories to explore why current reform efforts have not significantly changed the nature of teaching and learning contexts, teacher-student relationships, and the knowledge forms and uses constructed in school settings. Current contexts of school learning restrict access to…

A white college professor in Hawaii explains the political and historical issues surrounding her teaching of ethnic American literature amid the Hawaiian activist movement and racial tensions in a multicultural state. Gives examples of the literature taught and classroom experiences. (KS)

Examines local politics, economics, and other factors contributing to the results of the 1987 and 1992 tax elections in a Louisiana city-parish. Results suggest that proponents of educational agendas should couch propositions in terms of developmental policies, because all socioeconomic segments tend to support development. (SLD)