Postapartheid reforms in South Africa's higher education system pose difficult issues of power, authority and consensus, resource allocation, monitoring, and evaluation that directly affect institutional and sectoral interests and the interests of civil society and government. Despite strengths and capacities of the system, deep-seated tensions…

Traces the evolution of the Florida Community College System as it exists today--a merger between formerly segregated African American and White junior colleges. Recounts the historical development of the 12 African American two-year colleges, established to provide African Americans with equal access to higher educational opportunities. (VWC)

Describes how some middle school teachers in Michigan are becoming proactive in their work to educate and reach out to parents on a day-to-day basis. Describes strategies for community building, for informing parents, and for involving parents. The teachers use these strategies as they inform parents about pedagogical practices and explain why…

Examines the effects of changes in provision of higher education in Australia between 1987 and 1996, focusing on the effects of expansion on college entry criteria, eligibility, and program availability. It is noted that this policy change has been characterized as an issue of fairness in competition for entry rather than as a selectivity issue.…

Perceptions of the reform of segregated education at urban/suburban schools, township schools, and rural mission schools in South Africa are presented. Reform is most evident in former white schools and private schools, but lags behind in African and rural schools. Official reforms with grassroots efforts are needed to eradicate apartheid. (MMU)

Presents the experiences of high school science teachers who initiated tracking reform in their school, generating substantial debate and conflict in their community. The conflict illuminates key challenges teachers may encounter as they promote educational and social change. The paper notes implications for preservice teacher education,…

The primary-secondary (S1 and S2) "divide" is one contentious area in restructuring education in Scotland. Education is caught between the forces of culture fragmentation and the centralizing tendencies of government. Articulation of education levels in a national framework reflects the influence of cultural and economic trends on…

Examines trends in urban and rural China, 1949-90, for elementary- and secondary-school enrollments, number of teachers, and educational attainment of males and females. Demonstrates that shifts in the political context of educational policy between a socialist egalitarian agenda and a liberal competitive model have carried real consequences for…

Recounts the complications that arose when the author's teacher research began to focus on issues of institutional racism within the school in which she worked. Discusses the politics of studying one's own site, and the dilemmas and risks in that process. Explores the issues involved in teacher research that is oriented toward school change and…

During the 18 years of the last Conservative government, a stratified British higher education yielded to dramatic expansion, increased participation, and elimination of the "binary line." The economic imperative offers only a partial explanation for Conservatives' rapid and astonishing changes of policy. Contains 54 references. (MLH)

Critically examines recent market-oriented educational reforms in Ontario and their impact on socially disadvantaged groups. Argues that current trends lead toward a "marketization" of education in Ontario, as the rhetoric of cost-effectiveness and bureaucratic efficiency shifts the official agenda of educational reform away from equity…

Despite China's efforts in recent years to improve teacher education, it is still imbued with problems which must be addressed effectively and immediately before teacher education can meet with China's desire for modernization. The problems are based on the unattractive social and economic status of the teaching profession in China, so the…

Educator and author Tom Armstrong talks about events that influenced his radical educational philosophy; the interconnectedness of spirituality, culture, and the inner learner in all of us; the difficulty of linking spirituality to education in light of the First Amendment; attention deficit disorders and the medicalization of education; and the…

Examines federal legislation related to education over recent years, highlighting the 104th and 105th Congress and discussing bills to make English the official United States language and to deny public education to children of undocumented aliens. Also discusses funding allotted to various educational endeavors, including foreign-language study,…

Because public schools are serving an unjust reproductive function (according to social class, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation), teacher education must be reformed fundamentally to equip students to see problems and possibilities more holistically and become committed to democracy, equity, diversity, and a moral economy. The paper…