Finds that the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools' report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies for the 21st Century," emphasis on multiethnic perspectives is sparse and sporadic. Observes that its chronological approach to history and textbook emphasis discourages understanding of ethnicity. Criticizes teacher education…

Introduces a special section containing three articles and six commentaries, which discuss the form that multicultural education should take and consider whether children are well-served by a unified curriculum for all or ethnocentric curricula for various ethnic groups. Provides several examples of a multicultural approach. (SLD)