Between 1937 and 1952 three differing philosophies for the reform of NSW schooling found expression in three successive ministers for education. David Drummond, the Country Party minister during the Great Depression, wanted to extend the well-established democratic principle of equality of opportunity and the formation of character. He emphasised…

Recent research indicates that children develop the emergent knowledge and skills that lead to formal literacies in their homes and early childhood settings long before school entry. The research evidence is clear that emergent literacy needs to be actively encouraged in the early years, if children are to have optimum chances of learning to read…

Government Ministers, health care professionals and sporting organisations throughout the UK are presently engaged in the promotion of extending the length of time each school child spends participating in quality physical education. Agendas may differ from a crackdown on obesity and sedentary lifestyles to basking in reflected glory of British…

Investigates different perceptions of resource provision, management, and use to support investigative and other practical science. Findings indicate that overall schools are building up an increasingly broad resource base, reflecting the range of content required in the National Curriculum. Findings also indicate inadequate quantities of basic…

Sought responses of teachers of 4- and 5-year-olds to the Foundation Stage of the English national curriculum. Found that teachers welcomed the Curriculum Guidance because the document acknowledged the value of play for young children's educational needs and endorsed their return to what they believed were sound educational practices. Found that…

A survey of 851 New Zealand teachers (64% response) implementing the technology curriculum found they were satisfied with the usefulness of the curriculum statement to guide planning and assessment. Nearly three-quarters received professional development to prepare them for teaching technology. (JOW)

Reports on research undertaken as part of 'Keeping School Science in Step with the Changing World of the 21st Century'. Describes the development and evaluation of test and teacher assessment items for evaluating understanding of the National Curriculum (England and Wales) Sc1 component, Ideas and Evidence. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

This study evaluated characteristics of 4 special language units serving 15 7-year-old children with specific language impairments within mainstream schools in England. The study compared curricular opportunities (e.g., individualization and social contexts) and standard assessment tasks under the National Curriculum for these children and 15…

Nine teachers of 4-year olds described their theories of play and the influence of the British National Curriculum on practice. Although the curriculum requires shaping content into subject areas and focusing on assessment, teachers maintained their commitment to play and tried to integrate the curriculum's desired outcomes with unintended…

The reading attainment of 1,329 primary school children was analyzed to see if literacy standards changed since the introduction of Britain's National Curriculum. The relative stability of attainment across cohorts contrasts with the prediction that the curriculum would raise standards. (SK)

A study of school curricula in a nationally representative sample of 104 Israeli junior high schools (grades 7-9) found wide variety in local implementation of the official curriculum and in the time allocated to various subjects. Three general sociological approaches to explaining the findings focus on organizational "failure,"…

Reports the findings of a questionnaire-based study of the experiences of secondary science teachers under the British National Curriculum. Suggests a model for future control of the science curriculum. (Author/CCM)

Analysis of the mathematics attainment of cohorts of British elementary students in Year 2 (n=1,740) and Year 6 (n=1,663) from 1989-1997 reveals stable attainment over 9 years. There were fewer overachievers than expected since the standardization of the test. (SK)

In September 2000, new qualifications for 16-19 year olds, known as "Curriculum 2000", were introduced in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland with the aim of broadening the advanced level curriculum. It was left to schools, colleges, and their learners, however, to decide how these new qualifications would be used to build learner…

The aim of this article is to explore, through the case of the official Israeli state curriculum, how the educational system is affected by social changes and how it responds to them, and to suggest curricular directions that go along with the new social reality that has emerged in Israel during the past decade. We offer a conceptual-theoretical…