Eric Hobsbawm, perhaps the preeminent historian writing in English about the 19th and 20th centuries, previewed his encyclopedic account of the last 100 years with descriptions of the organizationally, collectively, and individually brutalizing effects of the intense round of wars, revolutions, and economic fluctuations that were the hallmark of…

For many decades Americans have been concerned about the effective teaching of mathematics, and educational and political leaders have often advocated reforms such as a return to the basics and strict accountability systems as the way to improve mathematical achievement. International studies, however, suggest that such reforms may not be the best…

Primary science has rightly been recognised as one of the great successes in UK education over the last 20 years--a jewel in the National Curriculum crown. Its successes are evidenced by the high numbers of pupils achieving the target levels in national tests and by the rising number of science lessons rated as good or better in school inspections…

This paper identifies a new paradigm war, which has emerged from national policy frameworks in education. In England, policy frameworks in the early childhood phase (age 3-7) have created tensions and dilemmas for teachers as they strive to reconcile their professional knowledge with increasingly prescriptive frameworks. Unintended negative…

The author begins by arguing that in order to understand imperialism it is necessary to have a conceptual awareness of the concepts of racism and racialisation. He then considers how the British Empire impacted on schools during the imperial era. He goes on to examine the nature of the New Imperialism. Calls are currently being made by notable…

Japan has often been criticized for allegedly teaching its schoolchildren about the history of Imperial Japan 1895-1945 in selective and misleading ways. Is this criticism justified, and how does it compare with the record of another former colonial power in East Asia: England? International criticism of history teaching in England has been…

This study is part of an ongoing, funded project, which seeks to develop workable criteria for the identification of talented pupils in physical education. Using interviews with teachers and qualitative data analysis, it focuses on the experiences of practitioners in the secondary phase of schooling in one English city. The study found a…

In this article we consider the development of key policy issues in England, related to the area of literacy learning and children who are considered to have difficulties in literacy in their early years. We trace the tensions which have arisen since the 1980s between different policies and practices in these areas. These tensions include…

In this article, the author discusses how England refines its accountability reforms. When the Conservative government crafted the Education Reform Act of 1988, which mandates a national curriculum for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as national-curriculum tests at ages 7, 11, and 14, schools in England were permitted to secede from…

In recent years the OECD has undertaken the evaluation of early childhood education and care (ECEC) on behalf of ministers of education in a number of countries in order to support quality improvement in this field. This article is based on a workshop for the national coordinators of early childhood policy in Sweden, 2003, which dealt with…

This paper explores the discourse on nursery education in Great Britain. The provision of nursery education in the 1990s is in a vulnerable position, due to the changing nature of the family in society and to the lack of strong justification for its existence in the face of government intervention. A schism exists concerning the need for…

The 5-14 Development Programme is a major reform encompassing the whole of the curriculum, assessment, national testing and reporting for pupils 5- to 14 years of age in Scotland. To monitor the early years of implementation of the program, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID) commissioned a national evaluation with a…

This document summarizes the academic standards-related activities of 26 national organizations, business organizations, and professional organizations. Each summary includes contact information and describes the organization's mission and purpose, interest in standards, and activities for technical assistance, dissemination, assessment, and…

This book aims to provide the reader with background knowledge and understanding of major contemporary issues facing mathematics teachers in Great Britain. Much of the book is devoted to discussing issues related to curriculum construction and change. The chapters are: (1) "The Aims of Teaching Mathematics" (A. Orton); (2)…

Designed for parents with children in the British school system, this booklet describes the National Curriculum, which sets out what children should know, understand, and be able to do at each stage of their education from the ages of 5 to 16. Under the National Curriculum, children will be taught what they really need to know, and students and…