Due to massive reform initiatives, American states have become major policy makers for public schools. Examines, from a state and a political-influence perspective, the causes, processes, and consequences of the decade-long "education excellence" movement. Places events in historical context, draws upon research findings, and applies an…

In the current conservative climate of higher education, questioning students' political beliefs is imperative for a real democratization of knowledge. Oppositional pedagogy pressures the assumptions of the existing system--the dominant knowledges and institutional and social arrangements derived from them--and enables students to change their…

This commentary examines the political rhetoric evident in the education reform movement. Specifically, the paper questions what becomes of children with disabilities when schools feel pressure to improve standardized test scores and questions why educators are not included in the task forces of the National Governors' Association initiative on…

The history of legal education in Bulgaria is chronicled from the late nineteenth century through the communist period to the present day. Aspects examined include the politicization of education, curriculum changes, and the roles of students and faculty. Issues likely to arise in the future are also examined briefly. (MSE)

The history of educational assessment and research in Czechoslovakia and changes in attitudes toward educational testing are reviewed. The current status of educational assessment is evaluated and found wanting. A plan is proposed to resuscitate educational testing in Czechoslovakia in spite of the current economic and political problems. (SLD)

Discusses ideological contradictions in the philosophy of internationalization supported by Japan's National Council on Educational Reform and the political contradictions inherent in Ministry of Education implementation efforts. Provides examples of attempts by Japanese high schools to internationalize their curricula and reintegrate students…

Four levels of authority within the educational decision-making structure in seven European countries and states for primary and lower secondary education are analyzed, and results are presented from a study of decision making. This study indicates a slightly higher degree of school autonomy in England/Wales, the Netherlands, and Sweden. (SLD)

This article discusses the social anarchist tradition of educational thought and practice, in order to throw new light on the philosophical discussion of the liberal-vocational distinction. Focusing on the central anarchist idea of integral education, I argue that the political stance of social anarchism is inseparable from the educational ideas…

This paper draws on findings from a major research project conducted between 1998 and 2000 on meanings of reconciliation in the school education sector. Using data collected from surveys and drawing from the community context in which schools exist, it explores and analyses meanings of reconciliation within school communities when the discourse of…

This publication describes the systems that prepare secondary school teachers in five randomly selected countries: England, Wales, France, Germany, and The Netherlands. The most common theme among these teacher education programs is that the systems are in a constant state of change; the changes come mostly as nations try to adapt the ways they…

Recurrent themes in selected literature on American higher education written during 1962-1972 are analyzed and related to themes on the same subject addressed by selected Victorian essayists in 19th century England. Parallels in educational thought are used to illuminate some aspects of the nature of the debate over the role of higher education in…

This volume records the proceedings of a symposium in which scholars and practitioners from a variety of fields assessed present and future trends in the politics of education. It links relevant past events to significant trends in educational governance and policy-making and contributes to an understanding of the influences and demands that will…

A recent review of international literature revealed two basic social-change paradigms, equilibrium and conflict. These define ideological predispositions that influence the manner in which evaluations are conducted. Most current evaluations of educational reform can be classified under the equilibrium paradigm; the federally sponsored…

This paper highlights the developments in teaching methods in China in the era of the post-Cultural Revolution, and explains how these methods grew out of educational experimentation during the Yenan period. The Yenan period followed the historic "long march, "when Mao Tse-tung and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) established their…

In the late 1960's the Executive Branch of the Venezuelan government launched a massive reform of its mechanism of public administration in order to make it more supportive of the development needs of the country. This paper is an effort to analyze the process of organizational change as it takes place within one segment of the public…