Int his essay, the authors identify and problematize the claims and activities of four think tanks supported by contributions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Kovacs and Christie attempt to show that these contributions support scholars and research of dubious quality, engage in political science abuse, and perpetuate discourses and…

This article is concerned with a specific type of hate speech: Holocaust denial. It is concerned with the expression of this idea by educators. Should we allow Holocaust deniers to teach in schools? This article attempts to answer this question through a close look at the Canadian experience. First, I will establish that Holocaust denial is a…

Philosophers of education disagree on how the question of the moral status of homosexual acts should be tackled in the classroom. Some argue that the question should be taught as a controversial issue, that we should present rival moral positions as even-handedly as possible; others maintain that we should actively promote the view that homosexual…

This paper explores the possibility that early childhood institutions can be, first and foremost, places of political practice--and specifically of democratic political practice. The case for the primacy of democratic political practice in early childhood institutions is made more urgent by two developments apparent in many countries today: the…

Over the past century our world has witnessed much uncertainty and ambivalence as a consequence of inhumane acts perpetrated against humanity such as murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, persecution on political, racial or religious grounds, war crimes (mistreatment of civilians and non-combatants as well as one's enemy in combat), and…

This article posits an intervention in the education system which integrates the theories of justice as fairness and deliberative democracy. The aim is to honour every child's right to learn in freedom, and to ensure that every child becomes a responsible and democratic South African citizen. The education system and the schools in that system…

This chapter describes the methodology of the Theater of the Oppressed as developed by Augusto Boal along with examples of its application.

In this essay, Gert Biesta provides a critical analysis of the idea of evidence-based practice and the ways in which it has been promoted and implemented in the field of education, focusing on the tension between scientific and democratic control over educational practice and research. Biesta examines three key assumptions of evidence-based…

The vitality of the business sector is an index of the general health of a free society. The importance of capitalism and the free enterprise system is a tenet of the ethos of the United States. Six addresses which promote this theme are presented as well as a list of the members of the honorary sponsoring committee honoring Donald Rumsfeld. The…

Members of the educational community have a vested interest in establishng a system of economic decisionmaking that is subject to democratic input and public accountability. Educators might seek alliances with progressive labor unions in order to achieve this goal. This paper explores the roles and effects of capitalism, multinational…

A study was made of the attitudes of VISTA volunteers at the beginning of their training, at the end of training, and after they had been in their jobs for four months. The volunteers were found to be individuals committed to the democratic process and liberal in their economic and political thinking. At the end of training, they were still…

This article reviews the role of the courts as policy makers and the implications for school practice. (DS)

In 1982, the Baltimore County (Maryland) Public Schools began a study of values education and ethical behavior. A countywide task force decided to incorporate values based on the Constitution and Bill of Rights into the entire school experience. This article attributes the project's success to six key elements, including widespread community…

Reviews findings on early political learning in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. Identifies counterproductive practices and presents alternatives which might better prepare students for responsible and competent participation in democratic society. (JDH)

By seeing teacher education as a practical philosophy committed to reflection, conversation, and action, the author argues, we can assist in moving the culture of the modern university away from its allegiances to elitism and technicism, toward a view of education as preparation for participation in democracy. (MT)