Contrary to what many people assume, writes Stewart, a high-quality teacher workforce is not the simple result of some traditional cultural respect for teachers that exists in some countries. Rather, it requires deliberate policy choices. In a tour of seven countries that traditionally score high on international tests of student performance…

A primary school community in Nottingham, England, has built a social system (via extensive orientation, parent teaching assistants, and multiple school assemblies) in which staff, parents, and students share responsibility for children's academic, social, and personal development. Holistic learning is encouraged by an integrated curriculum,…

A recent employer survey sponsored by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that the skills new job entrants most need for success in the workplace--oral and written communication, time management, critical thinking, problem solving, personal accountability, and the ability to work effectively with others--are the areas in which recent…

The traditional unfriendly rivalry between English universities and colleges and the local education authorities has been changed in East Yorkshire. There, two colleges and two LEAs have developed a jointly owned, financed, and administered scheme for managing degree awards to teachers. Mutual discontent with inservice training prompted the…

Nicholas Tate is chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England, set up by Parliament, in October 1997, to oversee the national curriculum. In this interview, Tate describes the British National Curriculum, national tests, and the promotion of moral education. The national papers publish massive supplements showing…

Subject-centered conventional education of teachers in the U.S. should be augmented by the growth open to teachers in the informal and innovative atmosphere of teacher centers that develop talents and confidence in the individual and emphasize the more child-centered view that is held in British schools. (JD)