Support is growing for the thesis that, since freedom is valuable, compulsory education needs justifying. Proposals by consent theorists involving prior, subsequent, and hypothetical consent are examined. These theories make no substantive contribution to solving the problem of justifying education. (SR)

One's aims must be the same for all stages of education including early childhood education, which covers compulsory and noncompulsory education at a variety of institutions. There is a case for making all the years of early education compulsory. (JOW)

This paper gives a brief overview of Jurgen Habermas's concept of communicative action, followed by an overview of an empirical study of patterns of communication between teachers and students in English post-compulsory education. The paper sketches the ideas of Habermas about the possibility of human interaction that is free from domination. It…

The Scottish "exam results crisis" of August 2000 appeared to reveal widespread dissatisfaction with the Higher Still reforms introduced the previous year. For a time the future of the reform seemed to hang in the balance. Yet Higher Still was the product of the consensus which emerged from the "Howie debates" of the early…

Positions the school as a site through which cultural responses to material conditions are played out. Identifies responses to three waves of modernization--universal schooling, postindustrial society, and commodified electronic culture--that are accompanied by specific cultural forms such as youth culture. Suggests that these forms are sites for…

In this paper, the authors discuss the influence of democracy and law on music education in Sweden and Finland, and the potential for music education as training in democracy. The latter consideration can be instructive regardless of the nation, or its laws and paradigms of music education. The theoretical background is based on Jurgen Habermas'…

Highlights certain similarities that prevailed in central educational administration in Britain in the decades of the 1890s and the 1980s and uses them to provide a historical context for the current debate on prevocational education and TVEI (Technical and Vocational Education Initiative). (Author/CT)

Making K-12 public school attendance voluntary will improve school climate and eliminate the need for school choice. A better system of financial allocations based on enrollment is critical. (SK)

Compulsory continuing professional education (CPE) is inappropriate because (1) it reproduces conformity and dependency-producing practices; (2) a professional is essentially self-directed and autonomous; and (3) CPE will not reform "unprofessional" professionals who lack lifelong learning attitudes. (SK)

Mandatory attendance laws have been justified on the basis of their necessity for effective citizen participation in a democracy and protection of children from permanent and substantial harm. Critics argue that mandatory schooling should be replaced with mandatory education laws. (SK)

Criticizes the ideas of the "great tradition" article (EA 519 521, this issue), pointing out that there is little historical agreement on the nature of morality, and that advocating mindless conformity to externally imposed standards of conduct is to caricature the moral life. (MD)

Discussed are the pros and cons of compulsory school attendance: the impact on the state, the parent, and the child; judicial rulings; and options for providing alternative and flexible learning experiences. (KC)

Discusses the foreign language program of the British educational system and the problems that arise when a teacher wants to use innovative teaching techniques while at the same time preparing students for the traditional language and literature A level examinations. Suggests ways in which the problem can be resolved. (SED)

Comparison of U.S. and British systems of postcompulsory education leads to reflections on how to achieve a unified system in Britain. Possibilities include requiring education to age 18 and having a single qualification at that age. (SK)

In this article, the author discusses the impact of compulsory state schooling in North America. The author stresses that schools are not making kids smarter, more capable or more skilled. The basic aspects of everyday school life have emerged and continue to evolve not as a response to the needs of students, but as driven by institutional needs.…