Political leaders like to put forward guiding ideas or themes which pull their individual decisions into a broader narrative. For John Major it was Back to Basics, for Tony Blair it was the Third Way and for David Cameron it is the Big Society. While Mr. Blair relied on Lord Giddens to add intellectual weight to his idea, Mr. Cameron's legacy idea…

Politicians have used the promise of "back to basics in our schools" as an educational platform for some time now, possibly in recognition that this is something the general population perceives as an issue they might just vote for. In the various positions the author has held, both professional and in community service, she has been…

This article offers a brief review of the writing of Jean-Paul Desbiens, an educational reformer and Quebec education official known as "Brother Anonymous." Juxtaposes two different articles by Desbiens, exposing the contradictions and conflicts between them. (JDH)

Asserts that Canadian schools should be educating students in the historically developed subjects matters. Suggests that a back-to-basics approach to education fails to appreciate the traditional subject matters as great sagas of human discovery. Concludes that schools are largely anti-intellectual places that are not inquiry driven and do not…

Presents the debate on linguistic and cultural diversity within the broader discourse of educational reform across Canada. Argues that issues related to English-as-a-Second-Language students have been marginalized in back-to-basics discourse. Critiques this marginalization and analyzes the inherent contradictions of its champions. (HB)

Considers the educational views espoused by the Centre for Policy Studies of Great Britain as revealed in recent publications. Examines the strategies used by this group to block meaningful dialog. Argues for a more comprehensive concept of English instruction, and outlines such an agenda. (HB)

This book argues that the Canadian public higher education system should return to the principles of a classical tradition of liberal education, abandoning the experimentation in school curricula and teaching methods of the last three decades. Taking as its point of departure the Ontario government's initiatives concerning destreaming and the…

Argues that technology now offers the opportunity for neutralizing the conflicting demands of child-centered, progressive, humanistic education with the back-to-basics demands voiced in recent years. Analyzes why education has had difficulty in responding to the potential of new technology. (JDH)

Examines the negative outcomes of the mandatory external primary school-leaving certificate examination administered to Irish sixth-graders, 1943-67. Concludes that the Irish experience should warn American educators of the possible dangers of using minimum competency tests as the sole or primary determinant of decisions concerning grade-to-grade…

Presents excerpts from two interviews, conducted in 1979 and 1995, with John Coe, a British primary education specialist and advocate for child-centered education. As primary education has veered toward a national curriculum and assessments, school choice, locally managed schools, and a strong, politically charged accountability element, teachers…

Reviews the value of topic work with regard to the British National Curriculum guidelines on curriculum planning. After years of concentrating on issues of content in planning, consideration of basic aims and values in education is again urged. Topic work allows teachers to teach in depth areas of personal expertise and interest in a local…