Secretary of Education William Bennett proposes that gimmicky federal programs are not the key to boosting American economic competitiveness, but rather that developing in American schoolchildren the qualities of honesty, responsibility, and regard for others' rights will help Americans compete in world markets. (MSE)

The Southern Regional Education Board found, after examining the transcripts of 6,000 college graduates, that strengthening the general education curriculum is the key to improving teacher training, and that the states must show greater leadership in specific areas in this reform effort. (MSE)

The text of a report written by a Harvard University administrator concerning federal regulation of the flow of research results addresses issues of prepublication review and research contract restraints, a trend toward increased security classification of information, imposition of export controls on research, and restrictions on foreign…

Catching up with deferred maintenance and improvements at colleges and universities has become a serious problem of time and money, and new federal state, and local safety regulations are increasing costs. Some contend administrators have failed to provide leadership at their own institutions. (MSE)

The text of a statement by the board of trustees of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, concerning the federal role in higher education and the role of education in the nation's and the world's future, is presented. (MSE)

The existence of a cabinet department for education has made education issues more prominent, but the Education Department is faulted for doing little to further the federal interest in providing education for minority and economically disadvantaged students. Educational policy making continues to be dominated by Congress. (MLW)

China's plans for higher education change include awarding scholarships for merit and charging tuition, increased local government responsibility for providing education, increased institutional autonomy in hiring, greater student curriculum choices, university training for industrial workers, and practical courses for humanities students. (MSE)

The Clinton Administration's proposed overhaul of the guaranteed student loan program would pay banks the amount of unpaid federal student loans, making the government the sole insurer of the loans. Guarantee agencies feel this action would strip them of their primary tasks of reimbursing lenders for unpaid loans. The initiative is intended to…

Hungary's political leaders are stepping up pressure on state-supported colleges and universities to make substantive changes in their organization, administration, and curricula, after several years of aborted experiments in consolidating the system. The government says it can no longer afford to support the existing higher education system, and…

A recent compilation of educational indicators from 20 industrialized countries in North America, the Pacific, Europe, and Scandinavia shows rates and trends in college enrollment and graduation, education-related earning power for men and women, and public spending on education. Educational attainment rates are charted for the 20 nations. (MSE)

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This March 12, 2004 issue of "Chronicle of Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Fewer Stem Cells Available, NIH Says" (Brainard, Jeffrey); (2)…