Politicians have used the promise of "back to basics in our schools" as an educational platform for some time now, possibly in recognition that this is something the general population perceives as an issue they might just vote for. In the various positions the author has held, both professional and in community service, she has been…

Advice is offered to school health educators facing pressure from the back-to-basics movement and budget cutbacks. Health education teachers should: (1) develop a sound, defensible educational philosophy; (2) be able to explain why health education is a "basic"; (3) generate student, parent, and community support; and (4) be more active…

The real basics are not the three Rs, rock-hard discipline, or spoon-fed values. Instead, they are strong, capable, well-trained teachers who can work in an enlightened and supportive environment, encouraged by a caring public. (Author)

English and writing teachers are often pressurized to return to the basics of grammar, despite the evidence that drilling grammar does not improve students' writing skills. A great disparity exists between public perception of effective education and the perception of professional educators, which is the main reason why parents and government…

The issue of what comprises a good secondary school curriculum is still unresolved. The progressive education of the 1960s has yielded to a traditionalist emphasis on a strong liberal education for all students. Future reform will be based on what the present reform movement overlooks--strong vocational programs for students who are not…

The basic skills movement is viewed as a reaction, by sections of the middle class, to educational changes of the 1960s and 1970s. Curriculum changes during those years threatened the ability of the educated, white-collar worker to pass cultural advantages on to his or her offspring. (PP)