Japan's Central Council on Education was established in 1987 and charged with recommending changes in the national curriculum. Expected changes within the next five years include reducing the school week to five days, introducing a program for gifted and talented students, providing more full-time counselors, improving and integrating…

Discusses the place of design and technology in the national curriculum in England and Wales and its relationship to the art and design curriculum. Outlines the principal recommendations of the reports from the National Curriculum Working Group for Design and Technology. Summarizes the responses to the reports. (KM)

Describes the National Curriculum Project, an effort in curriculum renewal set up within the Australian Adult Migrant Education Program. The rationale for and the effectiveness of a collaborative approach between teachers and curriculum specialists in school-based English-as-a-Second-Language curriculum development are discussed. Project…

Compares the "standard English" that has been employed in the formation of the English National Curriculum with the way Norwegian has found its place in the "Monsterplan" ("monster" meaning pattern or guideline in Norwegian). Notes that Norway (which itself has been dominated by other cultures and languages for…

Contends that, over the past 10-15 years, critical studies has become established in the primary and secondary phases of art and design education. Maintains that critical studies is a collective term for a range of interests and activities that enrich those practical components of the art curriculum regarded as core disciplines. (CFR)

Reports on 18 months of action research that examined the effectiveness of using the history of science to promote British students' understanding of the nature of science. Both quantitative and interview data offer substantial evidence of a strategic movement away from serendipitous empiricism and toward an appreciation of the interactive nature…

States that a national survey indicated that 82% of British citizens reported learning nothing about the United Nations in school. Discusses efforts to improve education about the United Nations through the National Curriculum in England and Wales. (CFR)

The history, philosophy, and outcomes of the Camphill communities in Scotland for children and adults in need of special care are discussed and evaluated. Controversial aspects of training the disabled within an enclosed separatist context are discussed, as is the program's role in relation to the English National Curriculum. (PB)

Discussed are the Caribbean experiences with school-based assessment in science, considering the general education background against which the strategy was adopted, some school conditions that appeared to be critical to its implementation, and its apparent impact on the teaching and learning of science. (Author)

Focuses on Thomas Hobbes, an English political philosopher who argued that the solution to civil disorders lay in a sovereign authority backed with force. Argues that education should be seen at the center of Hobbes's project of rescuing society from the disorders threatening civilization throughout 17th-century Europe. (CMK)

Offers a comparative analysis of the development of the history curricula within England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, exploring the relationship between history teaching and national identity. Suggests that these histories share commonalities while exhibiting differences. Considers implications for future perceptions of the British…

Discusses the changes that occurred in the English education system beginning with the Educational Reform Act of 1988 due to the policies of the Conservative government, such as market competition and the National Curriculum. Addresses the policies of the New Labour Party since the reign of the Conservatives has now ended. (CMK)

Explores why Thinking Skills/Cognitive Acceleration programs have struggled to make an impact, noting that classrooms are resistant to the kind of change these programs demand. Considers five constructs of teacher development (socialization, craft knowledge and expert-novice, "pedagogical" content knowledge, images of teaching, and…

This article reflects on experiences of attempting to infuse human rights in the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). Using our experiences as members of Human Rights and Inclusivity Group (HRIWG), one of the curriculum development structures set up for the RNCS, and focusing particularly on the Learning Area of Mathematics,…

For many decades Americans have been concerned about the effective teaching of mathematics, and educational and political leaders have often advocated reforms such as a return to the basics and strict accountability systems as the way to improve mathematical achievement. International studies, however, suggest that such reforms may not be the best…