Discusses the Community College of Philadelphia's move from a hostile labor-management environment to one in which the faculty union joins the administration in lobbying the city council and state legislature to overcome a deteriorating economy, political attacks, and skyrocketing medical costs. Addresses faculty and staff attitudes toward the…

Multicultural education has at least two faces--an academic one and an ideological one. Encouraging the balkanization of U.S. culture threatens to undermine the academic integrity of the social studies curriculum. Offers suggestions to make sure that schools are offering an academically rigorous multicultural curriculum, not political…

Outsiders (i.e., regulators, adjudicators, and "messiahs") frequently arrive with insistent demands for school change. The demands of these interest groups should not be set ahead of those of legitimate stakeholders at the school level. Having some interest at risk and commitment are characteristics that distinguish stakeholders from…

Discusses policies, legislation, educational practices, and innovative early childhood programs designed to revitalize the languages and cultures of Catalonia and the Basque Autonomous Region. Opposition to these practices and programs is also discussed. (BG)

Describes teacher education programs in Taiwan and recent changes in the status of teachers' colleges. Points out solutions to two problems in Taiwan's teacher education system: financial incentives for prospective teachers are weak, and the two-level teacher education system is not adequate in terms of contemporary educational philosophy. (SM)

Discusses the history of educational planning and administration in Latin America. Describes a period of educational expansion and diversification after World War II and one of disillusionment during the economic crisis of the 1980s. Urges an thorough review of the traditional approaches of educational planning in Latin America and a search for…

Describes how the growing pervasiveness of computers and telecommunications influences knowledge and idea exchanges required by democracies for survival. Technology makes it possible to abuse an underdeveloped popular epistemology by influencing mechanisms of publicity and privacy. Challenges presented by technology, and the university's role in…

Oregon State University and Southern Oregon State College have responded to state budget cuts with fundamental changes in academic programs and departments. Reductions are being made according to state guidelines for eliminating programs, rather than skimming broadly. Faculty are angered about personal and scholarly losses. (MSE)

To ensure quality programs in gifted education, parents, teachers, and concerned citizens should become involved in development of education policies. Influencing public policy involves determining which government structure has jurisdiction over the policy and lobbying for legislative action by attending public hearings, writing letters, working…

A review of the history of American Indian studies in the college curriculum traces the political, demographic, academic, and social changes affecting American Indian roles. The recent revival of native American studies and the emergence of graduation requirements in ethnic studies are seen as both beneficial and risky. (MSE)

Introduces a series of articles exploring the nature of discourse practices and power in the writing classroom. Until recently, student writers being initiated into academic discourse were expected to disregard their own experience. These articles challenge the established authority of teacher and text, encouraging student discussion within and…

Considers village and district councillors' role in educational decision making, focusing on the "Pukhun maliks" and tribal chiefs in northwestern Pakistan's frontier's tribal areas. In this case study, the notion of community involvement in development planning is actually entrenching the people's powerlessness. (17 references) (MLH)

Increasing government control, extraconstitutional pressures in governance, appointment and dismissal of vice-chancellors on political considerations and drift of the academic community from serious academic pursuits have undermined the autonomy of Indian universities. This paper analyses from macro-micro angles the causes for the decay of the…

The effectiveness of whole language/language experience programs versus basal reader approaches is considered. The politicization of whole language teaching and the use of the nonbasal approaches in kindergarten versus first grade are the focal themes. (TJH)

Examines the radical shift in educational policies in England and Wales since 1980, and how the shift has affected the curriculum industry. Considers teachers' attempts to influence policy, and the relationship between the curriculum industry and teachers' work in the future. Delineates implications of a national curriculum, an education market,…