Offers an overview of the revolutionary changes in education in England and Wales during the decade following the Education Reform Act of 1988. Concludes that the changes adopted by the Thatcher and Major governments during this revolution will not be reversed by their Labour successors but built upon for further reform. (CMK)

Describes the difficulties facing local education authorities (LEA) during the revolutionary period in British education. Illustrates that the role of the LEA has changed by exploring various definitions of LEAs proposed by the Audit Commission, the Conservative Government's White Paper "Self Government for Schools," and the White Paper…

Summerhill School has recently come under fire from England's educational bureaucracy, who are calling for its closure for noncompliance with the British national curriculum. The school has responded that it will not change its noncompulsory status nor any aspect of its educational philosophy that distinguishes it as a democratic, free school. (LP)

Expounds why and how music education at the preschool level has developed in Denmark and whether it should be a part of a formal national curriculum. Addresses the role of legislation in this process and the major schools of thought in music instruction as a context for understanding the development of this curriculum. (CMK)

According to the DfES Standards website, the Key Stage 3 National Strategy is part of the Government's agenda for transforming secondary education. It is a whole school improvement strategy which aims to provide "a platform for professional development across the school through its emphasis on teaching and learning"; and to foster…

This article reports on a collaborative study involving ESL teachers in an Australian English Language Centre as they work through some of their concerns about reliability and validity in their assessment practices. The focus of this article is on how teachers work with the Curriculum Standards Framework (CSF) as an assessment tool. The discussion…

In Wales the national curriculum programmes of study for key stages 1 to 4 are broadly similar to those of England, as is the current statutory assessment system, although pupils at key stage 1 no longer take national tests in science. At key stage 1, pupils' work is assessed by their teachers to provide an end-of-key-stage level. The statutory…

The school is part of the surrounding society and reflects prevailing values and developments in that society. Changes in the pupils, in their living environments and in the community as a whole require sensitivity on the part of the teacher and a readiness to attempt to predict the future from the point of view of the pupils. The professionalism…

This paper analyses some changing aspects of learning and "cultures of learning" in China: these are related to meeting the needs of Chinese learners studying in higher education in the UK. We use the term "cultures of learning" to draw attention to the socio-cultural aspects of key practices, expectations and interpretations…

In Malaysia, the national moral education curriculums are designed to develop the values that Malaysians of diverse cultures share or that the government wishes to develop as shared values to bring about religious and ethnic harmony. Moral education for Muslims is incorporated into in-school religious education, while a separate, essentially…

Environmental education is defined as a cross-curricular theme in the national curriculum (NC) of England and Wales. Environmental education may be experiential in and outside the classroom; outside, the environment may act as a stimulus for creative writing, investigative fieldwork, or sensory activities. Young children learn best by doing.…

Both the United States and England initiated ambitious standards-based education reform to eliminate large gaps between their highest and lowest achievers. England appears to be ahead, having started in 1988 with a national curriculum, tests, and performance tables. The United States' No Child Left Behind Act began rewriting state rules in 2002…

This leaflet gives guidance on effective practice on organizing literacy and numeracy booster classes for pupils in Year 6 schools in England. The literacy and booster program is designed to provide extra, targeted support to those pupils in Year 6 who, without the benefit of the Literacy Hour and daily mathematics lesson since the beginning of…

Discusses changes in the methods of earth science fieldwork brought about by the introduction of the National Curriculum to UK schools. Teachers have traditionally described and interpreted geology for pupils. Teachers now need accessible, safe sites close to schools. The sites must allow pupils to identify problems for themselves and solve them…

Describes a project trying to implement the nationally developed Curriculum Profile for languages in Australia from the vantage point of three teachers. Notes that the objectives of the project included highlighting teacher perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the profile, discovering difficulties experienced by teachers in applying the…