This report on the educational systems in China and South Africa compares the policies and processes of the two countries as they attempt to expand and improve rural education. Both countries experienced a major political upheaval, and even though there is a 50-year time lag between these events, political changes ushered in radical educational…

The research reported in this document was undertaken to determine the relative costs of educating a child in a charter school and a traditional public school in Michigan. To assess the costs, the following research was done: a review of the laws that govern public schools in Michigan; a review of the statutes that govern the funding of public…

Adult education theory and practice has long been involved in identifying spaces where counter-hegemonic learning can take place. Civil society is regarded as the site par-excellence for providing space in which to learn free from power and domination and from the state and economy. Another dimension to the recent focus on civil society as a site…

The Kyrgyz Republic--a remote mountainous region--is one of five former Soviet states in central Asia. This case study begins with a brief overview of the political and economic situation of the Kyrgyz Republic and its relation to aims of Soviet schooling in the 20th century. A critique of the Soviet schooling model by foreign academics before and…

Poland, reconstituted as a result of the war, comprises the territory formerly divided among the great powers of Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Prussia. Its area extends over 149,140 square miles and its population, according to the census of September 30, 1921, is estimated at 27,160,163, of which two-thirds are Poles. The remainder comprises…

Explains the effect of present-day educational changes on principals, the "line managers" of educational institutions. Describes concepts of leadership and techniques for effective leadership and community-school relations, including inservice programs, delegation of authority, and direction. Notes methods and techniques for getting the…

Maintains that in the future the state will have to move beyond the politics of particular advantage (individual and group rights) to politics serving the general advantage (environmental concerns, economic development). Argues that current politics are dangerously outmoded in everything from their theoretical assumptions to data collecting. (MJP)

John Lee's little-known 1984 study "Tomorrow's Teachers" shows that potential teachers' grade-point averages during 1974-83 did not decline or differ from other majors' GPAs. A 1996 UCLA study documents resistance to outcomes-based education at 10 schools. Well-educated parents of former high-track students pressured administrators to resegregate…

Investigates the financial structure of Russia's educational system and finds it wanting. Social, political, and economic changes have rendered the old Soviet system dysfunctional and irrelevant. Authorities, however, have failed to create a replacement. Discusses several possible reforms, including creating a national banking system for…

Examines changes in the positions and concerns of South African sociologists of education as they move from an oppositional status to a more ambiguous space. These sociologists now face the prospect of choosing between criticism and reconstructive efforts. Reviews themes and issues related to this conflict. (MJP)

Examines the urgent need to establish a conceptualization of teaching as professional practice that is characterized by ethical values, autonomous pragmatism, and pursuit of expertise. Suggests that conceptual, psychological, and epistemological weaknesses prevent England's current national vocational qualifications from accounting for these…

Reviews a fascinating lesson plan designed to acquaint students with the methods and devices used to deny blacks the right to vote in the pre-Civil Rights era south. Students take the same test that Alabama required of resident blacks to vote. Includes a copy of the exceptionally difficult test. (MJP)

A study investigated advocacy factors that were influential in enabling a rural school district to expand its gifted program despite greatly diminished state support and a local budget crisis. Parents played a vital role, and relationships between a parent support group, the program coordinator, and the superintendent were also important.…

Maintains that there are definite and divisive tensions between multicultural education and citizenship education. Identifies various positions, philosophical backgrounds, and political proponents of these two camps. Recommends using both pedagogies to create a sense of community. (MJP)

Asserts that the study and performance of religious music within an educational context is a vital and appropriate part of a comprehensive music education. Discusses various guidelines to determine if the inclusion of religious music is educational and and neutral. Briefly reviews the legal considerations. (MJP)