The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a state law compelling a child's attendance at a public school constitutes a violation of the parent's liberty interest under the 14th amendment. In Canada, however, courts have held that their equivalent to the 14th amendment does not encompass the liberty of parents to choose how to educate their children.…

There is widespread concern that higher education is being compromised by being turned into a "commodity" to be "consumed". This article represents an initial attempt to explore the trends in both the UK and US, and considers how the law has responded to them. It argues, however, that there is an important distinction to be…

Secondary students pretend to be members of a committee studying proposals for a new U.S. constitution. They are given a list of 24 constitutional civil rights, taken from the U.S. and Soviet constitutions, and asked to select the 12 they like best. Discussion and analysis follow the selection process. (RM)

Illustrates the assertion that Canada's constitutional protection of minority rights has been used throughout history against the poor to protect the rich. Gives several examples of government policies and actions against the poor, against immigrants, against workers, and against native Canadians. (Author/GC)

Recent tendencies that are likely to endanger free and creative research in Austria are discussed. It is suggested that the danger to free, autonomous research may stem from negligence of the state to provide an adequate organizational framework for research. (Author/SF)

Since the advent of the "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms", the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has rendered judgments in four cases where individual educational stakeholders have alleged violations of their constitutional rights. In three of the cases, "R. v. Jones", "Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education",…

In this article, the authors discuss the problems of professional education. They state that, the source of these problems--the violation of the constitutional rights of citizens to obtain an education accessible to all; the commercialization of education; and the worsening of the financial, material, technical, and cadre support of the system of…

The question of the relationship between capitalism and democracy is not new; scholars have produced a rich literature about it that includes virtually every considerable point of view. Yet the question is of more than historical interest; with the recent dramatic political and economic upheavals in Eastern Europe and the former USSR, it becomes…

This paper reviews national and cultural traditions that inform human rights consciousness in Slovakia and examines the role of constitutionalism in human rights protection and education on human rights. A prospering civil society is possible only in the context of a well-functioning civil state, making education in human rights and…

Includes "The Choice Movement" (Brogan); "Choice in American Education" (Witte); "Role of Parents in Education" (Mawdsley); "As Arrows in the Hand" (Coons); "Vouchers in Wisconsin" (Underwood); "Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP)" (Grover); "Civil Liberties and the MPCP"…

Explores the court structure in the United States and Canada. Explains the consequences of a dual or integrated system and why Canadians are adopting the U.S. system. (DB)

The government of Ontario announced in 1984 that it would begin to fund Catholic high schools in 1985. Prior to this announcement, Ontario had operated since the 1800s under a system that provided for the public funding of a dual system of Protestant and Catholic public elementary schools and a single system of nondenominational secondary schools.…

A review of the language laws and conventions in Canada and the province of Quebec focuses on: Canadian constitutional law concerning education and language, including the 1867 constitution, the 1960 declaration of linguistic rights, and a 1969 law on official languages; the language of government and instruction in Manitoba; language usage in the…

Legal and historical issues in the establishment and maintenance of the office of University Visitor in Australian universities are examined, and pertinent British and Australian legislation is cited. The traditional and disputed role of the Visitor as a liaison between corporation and government is discussed, and recent court litigation is…

Reviews in detail the legalities of curriculum development and adoption in West Germany, discussing constitutional guidelines, introduction procedures and practices, legal assessment, and educational objectives; and suggests cooperation between state parliaments and ministers of education. (CK)