Examines the opinions of schoolchildren in former Soviet Union and the need for educators to promote students' independent thinking. Reports that 53 percent of students reported an unwillingness to question the collective will. Argues that students will learn critical thinking through involvement in learning, the expression of personal opinion,…

Members of the Peace Education Commission answered a questionnaire on peace museums. The first 60 respondents, representing 25 different countries supplied the results of this report. A majority of the respondents had a positive opinion about the potential values of a peace museum. A variety of definitions of a peace museum were supplied by…

Describes the controversy about the role and activities of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (England). Discusses the primary weaknesses of the council and its competency-based education and training strategies. Suggests that the only solution may be to abolish the present system of academic and vocational qualifications. (CFR)

Discusses former Soviet schools' inadequacy in promoting students' political involvement. Reports that students can be grouped according to their social attitudes as (1) conformists; (2) negativists or nihilists; and (3) those with critical, creative attitudes toward majority opinion. Argues that schools can promote independent thinking by…

A discussion of crime on Australian university campuses offers a historical summary and reviews research on crime and fear of crime in this environment, including two recent campus crime surveys. The process by which this problem has come to public attention is examined, and implications for institutional administration are explored. (Author/MSE)

Describes two action research projects undertaken at an Australian university to improve quality of services to foreign students and improve the institution's image through word of mouth, or informal marketing. Each project, although small, facilitated changes or improvements to a targeted service. The role of management in empowering employees…

Describes changes in the education systems of Latin America and the work of ethnographic researchers in the area. Examines thematic trends such as cultural reproduction, school failure, schools and the disadvantaged, teachers' protest movements, and what knowledge is really being acquired. Argues that critical attitudes have enhanced the status of…

Factors affecting concern about quality of higher education are examined in three contexts--the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. These factors include the economic climate, international competitiveness, public perceptions, and the role of government in determining the missions and activities of colleges and universities. (MSE)

States that the importance of higher education on Great Britain's economic and social fortunes is appreciated by academics but not by the general public. Reviews public relations efforts by universities in France, Germany, and the United States and recommends more effective public relations efforts by British universities. (CFR)

Institutional and association administrators from developed and developing countries identify problems in the futures of institutions in their own and other countries, including educational finance, sustaining current progress, developing instructional and research capacities, educational relevance, international scholarly and student exchange,…

Reports on a project with five schools in which students and teachers engaged in participatory research of water resources and water quality. Describes the student-teacher interaction, a computer network linking the project to an international conference on water quality, and the impact on local public opinion about water resources. (CFR)

Over recent years there has been an increasing amount of public and political discussion of educational directions and educational accountability in relation to Australian primary and secondary schools. The study reported in this monograph attempted to address these concerns through a four-stage process: a review of literature exploring community…