Evaluates the United Nations 1990 Human Development Report's portrayal of Brazil. Attributes missed human development opportunities cited in the report to the Brazilian military rule of 1964 to 1984 and subsequent redemocratization. Cites possibilities for human development, particularly in education. Questions whether Brazil will be among the…

Examines three recent popularized accounts of emerging lethal viral strains within the context of a late 19th-century rationale for imperialism: the ideologeme of scenic contamination, which justifies imperialism as a defensive measure. Notes how the three texts present ideologically charged images of the Third World and its relationship to the…

Takes a critical look at the "new literacy studies." Describes an experimental workshop on Training for Organization, a Brazilian method focused on the relationship between literacy and power. (SK)

Describes the network of experts in training and the organization of cooperatives that is being in formed in Central Africa. Suggests that government authorities must encourage their efforts and create a favorable environment for the organization of rural producers. (JOW)

Examines the trend in many foreign countries away from monopolies by public higher education institutions toward private colleges. Describes U.S. models and similar efforts in developing countries. (EV)

European nations are undergoing rapid and fundamental changes in response to social, political and economic events that are occurring both within and outside the region. These changes are far-reaching in scope and, ultimately, are expected to result in a redefinition of "Europe" and what it means to be "European." Using the…

Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in international and bilateral aid programs to assist developing countries in expanding democratic governance. Evaluating these efforts' effectiveness is important given the vast needs of the client population. This article reviews a sample of evaluations of the United States Agency for…

Full privatisation of schools would involve states abstaining from providing, funding or regulating schools. I argue that full privatisation would, in most circumstances, worsen social injustice in schooling. I respond to James Tooley's critique of my own arguments for funding and regulation and markets. I argue that even his principle of…

The concept of premature discovery in science entails the publication of an important idea which remains uncited for a long period. Thereafter, a deluge of citations of its substance would occur. An overlooked example concerns the discovery in 1963 of how lung cancer cells stimulate the formation of new lymph vessels in man. Subsequently called…

Distance education means instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by distance and interact through the assistance of communication technology. Distance education changes the learning relationship from the common, centralized school model to a more decentralized, flexible model. It also reverses social dynamics by bringing…

A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 751 women, living in slums, examined their perspectives on partner and relationship factors of domestic violence. More than 17% of women experienced physical violence in the past year. Individual factors related to the husband--namely, poor socioeconomic status, use of alcohol, extramarital…

This article reports on a study that investigated the extent to which central ministry policy initiatives result in large-scale educational change in developing countries. Specifically, Lesotho's policy of inclusive special education was examined as a case study. The study employed a multi-method approach to yield a large data-set. Results…

This article examines Western and Chinese discourses of education, sustainable growth and development. Education is increasingly considered as a means to fuel economic growth, especially since the 1980s, when conservative economic values became predominant in Western development thought. Despite a discourse on sustainability favouring ecologically…

Tracking students into different classrooms according to their prior academic performance is controversial among both scholars and policymakers. If teachers find it easier to teach a homogeneous group of students, tracking could enhance school effectiveness and raise test scores of both low- and high-ability students. If students benefit from…

Over the last decade, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has pursued educational reform in elementary teacher education. Because elementary teachers and teacher education are central to the reform agenda, there is a need to gain empirical evidence about how PNG teacher trainers' understandings about learning and teaching impact on their practice. The study…