Balanced development of compulsory education is not only the cornerstone of education equity, but also the fundamental part for realizing a harmonious society. There have been several achievements in balancing the development of compulsory education in China, such as narrowing the gaps in compulsory education between rural, urban, and other areas.…

Educational issues in South Africa have become basic to the struggle for equality. Compulsory education at all levels and higher education for Blacks must be brought up to the quality level of education currently received by Whites. (CJ)

Arguing in favor of the Jeffersonian ideal, this article proposes raising the point at which universal education ends and discretionary education begins. A 13-plus-3-year configuration similar to the European model might replace the current 12-plus-4 American model, perhaps with some modification. It is proposed that substantial savings could be…

China's education system has grown increasingly complex, creating the need for an annual critical review of the education system by China's top scholars. The "Blue Book of Education," as it is known in Chinese, has gained a reputation for offering the most penetrating perspective in China on educational reform and development. In this…

Many European governments associate improving literacy with providing development assistance to regions like Africa and Asia from which the majority of the world's 774 million illiterates come. As school attendance is compulsory in the region, it is assumed that the Education for All (EFA) goals have been achieved and literacy is therefore not…

Presents the views of scholar, Qian Jiaju, who argues China's central government must change its priorities and give more financial support to basic education if mandatory education is to succeed. Observes China's educational system needs revamping. Contends attention to educational concerns will ultimately benefit China's production and…

In March of 1984, the Kentucky General Assembly revised and approved a senate bill that made kindergarten mandatory beginning with the 1985-86 school year. This paper reviews several national and state research studies which help demonstrate reasons why early education would be beneficial to a student population. Particularly discussed are the…

An important function of public policies is to distribute public resources rationally. But for a long time, our public policies have been so "city-oriented" that public resources are allocated unfairly and majority of high-quality education resources are concentrated in cities. This has already led to a serious unbalanced development in…

The challenge for state boards of education is meeting their obligations to ensure a quality education for all children while considering parents' right to educate their children. The controversy over home instruction can be reduced to a discussion about compelling state interest. This document provides state board members with concise factual…

Presents an overview of the educational system of the Bedouin Arab minority in southern Israel. Inequities between the Jewish and Arab schools include (1) inadequate school facilities; (2) an insufficient number of qualified teachers and administrators; and (3) an unacceptably high student-to-teacher ratio. A clear reform policy for Bedouin Arab…

The editorial board of Forum states that, with few exceptions (immediately after the two world wars; in the period 1955-1965), the birth rate has shown a long-term decline since the late nineteenth century. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to bring about improvement in the quality of education. (KC)

The author discusses some changes that occurred in American education from the late 1950s through the early 1970s, why these changes failed to improved the quality of education, the effect of compulsory attendance laws on educational deterioration, and what abolishing mandatory attendance would do to develop the learning environment. (RK)

Improving the quality of education is a constant concern of national policy-makers. Evaluation of the education offered pupils is one of the means by which this aim may be achieved. Such evaluation may assume several forms depending on the components subject to investigation, whether they be the processes activated by teachers, the tasks assumed…

This article reports findings from a qualitative interview study that examined the provision of integrated kindergarten education for children with disabilities from the perspectives of general education teachers implementing integrated kindergarten programs. Analysis of interviews with eight informants led to the identification of two broad…

This document presents a comparative analysis of education in Japan and the United States. The report explores differences between U.S. and Japanese culture. While the United States may be characterized by its diversity, Japanese culture is distinctive in the extent of its uniformity. Japan, moreover, has a highly centralized educational system;…