Traces the brief history of the University of Canada North, which maintained a corporate existence from 1970 to 1985 but never became a reality. Discusses conflicting desires of northern residents and the federal and territorial governments; tensions between First Nations, newcomers, and established non-Natives; and northerners' motives for…

Through a series of policy documents, the Australian government succeeded in establishing a climate of belief that technical and further education institutions were unresponsive to industry needs. Although empirical evidence failed to substantiate this claim, the mobilization of opinion led to a policy agenda based on corporate values and an…

This paper takes the vigorous political debate unleashed in Germany by the results of the PISA study as a stimulus to take a closer look at the strategic aims and effects of the current education reforms, of which the PISA study is only one example. It shows that the reform measures underpin a powerful process of normalisation. In this context,…

This historical paper is an introduction to curriculum thinking in Japan. It discusses contested value frameworks that have exercised professional educators in the light of two "Western" interventions: (1) the modernization initiatives of the Meiji government of the nineteenth century; and (2) the policies that followed Japan's defeat in…

If the purpose of industry is the good of society or of the planet as a whole, then how does higher education meet the needs of industry, particularly in the United Kingdom? Industry needs a trained work force of high quality recruits who are both educated and morally and environmentally aware. However, in the current debate over moral training,…

This chapter briefly describes the kinds of educational research centers active in France and the types of research they are conducting, then focuses on developments in the field of educational research from 1930 to the present and on the impact research has had on policy and innovations in recent years. In the section on history it is noted that…

Regional Educational Laboratories were created in the early 1960s as a federally funded link between research and development efforts in education and school districts. The labs were conceived to be sensitive to the practical needs of administrators and teachers for educational innovations that could be implemented locally. However, over a quarter…

Chinese higher education has undergone dramatic changes since the mid-1980s. Over the past two decades, the traditional public system of higher education has transformed to be more diversified with increasing non-government involvement. This paper tries to examine the recent reforms in the light of governance with a particular emphasis on policy…

President George W. Bush has unveiled an activist education plan that requires states to improve their worst schools or face sanctions from the federal government. The plan would tie Title I money to the states' adopting "clear, measurable goals focused on basic skills and essential knowledge" and testing children every year in grades 3-8.…

In response to commentaries on an earlier essay, this paper suggests three points to extend the dialogue about teacher education reform, discussing the potential value of debates that marshal evidence for a particular policy position, the importance of open discussion about the ideologies underlying different positions, and cautions about the…

Two distinguished figures in education policy and practice were asked to reflect on each other's careers. They described the development of a strong federal role in education during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. Both see the church-state issue and civil rights making federal activity for schools extremely difficult. (MLW)

Describes the 1968 initiative in Sweden to establish a national continuing education program and its lack of government support under the current administration. Suggests that the program was never comprehensively implemented, and argues that these policy shifts present education policy as an arena for ideological struggle. (40 citations) (MAB)

The passage of Goals 2000 represents a victory for advocates of a stronger federal role in improving schools. The article explores the principal elements of Goals 2000, the origins of the "new federalism," the education legislative record of the Clinton administration, and what further efforts are necessary to meet the needs of American…

This discussion of higher education policy formation in Australia focuses on the changing role of the state governments. The nature of state involvement in policymaking in 1959-87 is chronicled, and the diminished role of the states in very recent years is examined. The need for state participation is supported. (MSE)

This debate presents two viewpoints on mother tongue maintenance: (1) that all individuals have a fundamental right to education in their native tongue, and that multilingual societies should actively promote multilingualism for all individuals; and (2) that the multitude of languages and rapid economic development in many countries calls for…