Upheaval in Australia's university system in recent years can be attributed in large part to two influences dating to 1987: accession of John Dawkins to the Ministry of Employment, Education, and Training and the advent of federal regulation of industrial relations in education, which has undermined the collegial decision-making tradition. (MSE)

This article provides an overview of European trends in integration for persons with disabilities, with emphasis on the slow pace of integration in Germany. The historical, attitudinal, and political context of German disability services are stressed, noting the effects of reunification, community living, workplace and school integration, and…

Chinese crime fiction is discussed in the context of political and social change. Chinese fiction bears little resemblance to the model police officer of Communist ideology. Crime fiction has become the main vehicle in China for forming public images of police and may become a channel for social discourse. (SLD)

Summaries of seven language-related research projects are presented from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Topics include a lexicon of Kelabit, cognitive theory for second-language acquisition, academic writing in Filipino, cultural politics of English instruction, use of conjunctions, and communicative grammar. (LB)

The dominant position science education has been granted in Britain's National Curriculum is challenged. It is argued that, far from increasing the need to know science, developments in technology actually reduce the need. It is suggested that efforts to direct school science education toward broader environmental issues are doomed to failure. (KR)

In Europe, the modern university has emerged as a both regional and international institution. Internationalization of the university has been furthered by innovative exchange programs, which add a political dimension. Success of the exchanges appears to depend on development of capacity to support expanded international flows of students and…

Examines the first 30 years of school medical services in one English local education authority against the background of social and educational legislation, the first world war, political and economic uncertainties of the interwar decades, and changing public opinion. Details the rise in importance of school medical officers in this period. (DSK)

Social and economic instability accompanying the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of the Republic of Slovenia from the northern portion of the former Yugoslavia resulted in higher demand for, and participation in, secondary and tertiary education. Describes changes in educational policy that both facilitated and resulted from this…

Discusses the development of a national information policy in Israel. Topics include political climate; security concerns; censorship; lack of openness; progress in the peace process; technical innovativeness; a desire to join the international community; and legislation, including privacy protection, freedom of information, and copyright.…

The Great Leap Forward disaster, characterized by a collapse in grain production and a widespread famine in China between 1959 and 1961, is found attributable to a systemic failure in central planning. Wishfully expecting a great leap in agricultural productivity from collectivization, the Chinese government accelerated its aggressive…

In this article, the author looks closely at the recent history of the East African coast and the Swahili people who live there. In doing so he hopes to highlight the inadequacy of the area studies/continentalist approach to studying and teaching the Swahili and to propose a different way of considering their past. His contention is that one can…

Afghanistan has a long history of social unrest and ethnic conflict, and the manipulation of the education system by internal and external powers for political purposes has been one of the major contributors to these divisions. As Afghanistan attempts to build peace and maintain co-existence after more than 20 years of violence, there continues to…

This book focuses on race at work in the British educational system, a concern that is pertinent because education occupies a pivotal role in contemporary race politics. The study on which it is based blends school-based research with a critical reading of policy and theory. The experiences of teachers in real schools show that schools can…

Two dangers to linguistic and cultural pluralism are examined: (1) that the growing power of the major national languages threatens the very existence of less commonly spoken languages, and (2) that the spread of English as a universal lingua franca threatens even the major national languages. Much attention is given to the first issue, but less…

This collection of nine articles presents case studies of educational reform and change in 10 nations, focusing on the changing role of government involvement in higher education. The articles are: (1) "University-State Relations in Britain: Paradigm of Autonomy" (Peter Scott); (2) "Changing Conceptions of State-University…