Reviews the Association of American Colleges (AAC) report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," a comprehensive look at the role of the undergraduate major in political science. The place of political science in the core curriculum is also examined. (Author/BSR)

Music is not a "frill" to be done away with in the call for a return to the basics. It is a means of cultural expression and universal communication. Music permits students to express themselves and to learn the values of self-discipline and pride of accomplishment. (CS)

The French government has announced new moves designed to reinforce the teaching of basic skills in this nation's elementary schools. Highlights of these moves and of Jean-Pierre Chevenement's (minister of national education) recommendations on what should be emphasized in schools are presented. (JN)

Criticizes the application in public schools of the new "cultural literacy," which is restrictive and can lead to intellectual stagnation. Suggests a wider, more active concept of cultural literacy, which involves building new knowledge, accommodating new perspectives, and reading beyond the narrow, traditionally defined notions of our…

The author addresses the impact and significance of the back-to-the-basics movement as it relates to business education. She focuses on curriculum for business students, the need to train teachers to provide basic skills instruction, the role of business education, effects of the educational reform groups, and strategies for business educators.…

Three suggestions for schools in the face of computerization are discussed. Educators should: (1) take a critical attitude; (2) raise questions of value, as well as of effectiveness; and (3) be alert to the transfer to education of computer language, and the constrictions that could result. (MT)

This paper explores the philosophical considerations involved in literacy. It explains that one concept that is emphasized in discussions of literacy is "the basics," which are defined as essential skills, such as the association of phonemes with graphemes. This paper notes that "the basics" movement presently stresses the…

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…

Educational reformers are divided among high-standards Martians, back-to-basics Venusians, character educationists, and free-market trade experts. Meanwhile, no one discusses how to motivate bored, disrespectful students. The solution involves working to establish high academic standards without blame or standardization, to develop "merit…

American high-school graduates should be expected to be literate. There is a need to come to an understanding of what literacy is, what its fundamental relationship to education is, and what the responsibilities are to teach it. (MLW)

Reviews publications that examine the quality of American higher education and suggest methods for improving education at the baccalaureate level. The discussion covers the treatment of the role of college libraries in these reports, reactions of librarians to the reports, and the need for librarians to gain full participation in the education…

Discusses the current state of Canadian high schools. Examines the goal of competitiveness as a national policy and the debate over the purposes of education. Explores (1) a greater emphasis on basic subjects; (2) the use of performance indicators; (3) the demand for accountability; and (4) dropout rates. Argues that an economic agenda for…

Advice is offered to school health educators facing pressure from the back-to-basics movement and budget cutbacks. Health education teachers should: (1) develop a sound, defensible educational philosophy; (2) be able to explain why health education is a "basic"; (3) generate student, parent, and community support; and (4) be more active…

In 1990 two Baltimore, Maryland, schools began an educational experiment. The Barclay School, a public elementary and middle school, won permission to bypass the city's curriculum and adopt the program of the Calvert School, a private elementary school. Test scores and writing skills of Barclay students have improved using the back-to-basics,…

Provides a sampling of items from the ERIC database on the subject of social studies as a discipline. Includes documents on proposals to improve social education and on return to traditional emphases in history and geography. Explains how to obtain copies of documents from the ERIC system. (SG)