Collected here are six National Education Association (NEA) position papers in the form of booklets that address issues raised by the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The booklets are entitled: (1) "A Guide for Teachers to a Nation at Risk and Other Studies"; (2) "Teachers' Views About High School";…

This statement addresses the basic practices of student development professionals that help community colleges assure success on the part of their students in an effort to reaffirm and update the standards of practice that undergird the profession. Introductory material discusses the rationale, philosophy, and purpose of the statement; explains…

In this anthology of readings, 28 scholars and educators consider the theoretical and practical forces that shape the concept of lifelong learning. After Ronald Gross's introduction, the first section begins its consideration of the Western tradition in adult learning with Plato's metaphor of the cave and includes Pico della Mirandola's essay on…

This paper conceptualizes basic education and examines its ability to deliver benefits, particularly to the poor in developing nations. Education for basic human needs is interpreted to include skills to communicate, skills to improve the quality of life, and skills for production. The premise is that the main obstacle to the expansion of basic…

Increased migration to rural communities by urbanites has focused greater attention on the role of the rural community college as the focal point of community activity and the major source of significant leadership and direction in community development efforts. Through its community service programs, the community college can contribute to…

A professional educator discusses the roles that schools of education have played in modern American society, and considers ways in which those roles must change to meet needs in the future. Objectives are set for professional preservice teacher education institutions, and responses are made to criticisms of present institutional and educational…

This document presents eight statements representative of positions taken by participants in a conference held to explore the relationship between the state and non-public schools. A historical perspective on the role of the parents in education, a lawyer's case for parental responsibility in education, parent involvement and parent rights are…

Extensive change in the current educational system is needed. The major problems are: (1) Children do not relate their school experience to life experience; (2) The basic purpose, format, and curriculum of schools have not changed fundamentally since medieval times; (3) Fragmented advocacy groups and no central educational organization…

Argues for sound practices of information management that provide educators with the information they need to make good decisions about services for students and protect the privacy of students and their families. Defines informational characteristics (accuracy, completeness, pertinence, timeliness) and systemic functions (collecting, storing,…

Immediate actions in any number of areas are required if those involved in teacher education are to restore their credibility and to prepare effective teachers for the future. Eight "imperatives" are identified and explained in detail. (JMK)

When the educational system in Ontario, Canada, moved toward a child-centered philosophy, the onus for failure was placed on the child and his or her home environment. This philosophy penalized children from working-class and non-English-speaking homes. Arguments in the nature-nurture controversy are reviewed. (PP)

The current movement to prepare educators for roles in human service settings promises to alter the face of teacher education as profoundly as the movement toward professional standards for teachers changed the normal school into the current teacher education institution. (Authors/CJ)

Some instructive experience about the potential and limits of a meaningful role for African universities in the 1980s is discussed. The challenge of the 1980s is to convince African governments and national populations that university contributions to national development lie in the ability to train minds and a thinking society. (Author/MLW)

Recommends that counseling services for lifelong learners at community colleges focus on developmental needs and be integrated with other programs of the college. Discusses the personal characteristics of the counselor/educator and proposes a peer group counseling model. (JM)

Argues that medicine's standard of conduct can be applied to the formation of ethical standards for practices and policies in higher education. Offers sources for developing a standard of care for college students based on the body of research on traditional-age undergraduate students. Compares medicine's "tele-medicine" with higher education's…