The Philippine educational system and its core curriculum is oriented toward the formation of the modern, autonomous, rational subject, particularly one that will fit into the contemporary global market and production system. Through this system, Filipinos are deepening the colonization of their rationalities and subjectivities by imposing a…

National curriculum reform is a complex negotiation point of how basic education should be practiced and what role it should take in society. The question of participation in this process is central to creating a coherent, responsible, and implementable curriculum--but still left for little investigation in the national level reforms. Our goal was…

Critical literature on liberal education since the 1990s discerns two main trends which pose a serious threat to liberal education in the contemporary world. These are, firstly, the trend of liberal arts colleges offering a more professional curriculum and, secondly, the trend among universities and colleges in general to promote values which used…

For years, ACTA warned of a looming crisis in higher education, and with it, a crisis for our nation. It is writ large in runaway college costs, civic ignorance, a skills deficit that frustrates employers, and the breakdown in the discourse that is the lifeblood of a free society. But from its inception, ACTA has been more than a warning bell in…

Aija Riniken, senior ministerial advisor, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, shares her perspective on the future of basic education. She writes that her perspective is mainly from Finland's point of view because she has worked on many different levels of education in Finland and has witnessed many changes throughout the years. Here…

It is notoriously difficult to change a core curriculum. As credit hours and course requirements are revised, politics quickly come into play and turf battles arise to create obstacles. The author writes that, in her experience, there are two default approaches to curricular change. The first is simply to "tweak" an existing…

The core curricular category of "learning outcomes" has entered the educational policy scene in Europe. While content-oriented curricula have dominated the Nordic countries, a shift towards outcomes can also be observed. In this article, we describe the fundamental distinctions between "Didaktik" and learning outcomes and…

The word "liberal" derives from the Latin "liber," meaning "free," and describes a mind unencumbered by either prejudice or indoctrination. The adjective "liberal," however, has become, at least in some circles, synonymous with anti-capitalism, anti-business, and therefore anti-American. This author has…

As questions regarding the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) flow in to Education Commission of the States, one frequent inquiry is about the concept of a "well-rounded education," referenced more than 20 times and included within the majority of Titles in the Act. State education leaders want to know what constitutes a well-rounded…

NCSS Executive Director Susan Griffin was chair of the Task Force of Professional Organizations that worked with the Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction Collaborative (SSACI) of the Council of Chief State School Officers to initiate and guide the development of the "College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social…

Reviewing and revising core curricula at Catholic colleges and universities is often fraught, primarily because the core symbolizes so centrally these institutions' identities. Situating core revision as one dimension of a larger shared task in which all Catholic institutions are engaged today-living into and articulating the meaning of being…

In this essay, the author argues that English language learners (ELLs) can meet and exceed the Common Core State Standards, and that more complex materials are in fact precisely what they need. Lack of access to such materials is what prevents ELLs from attaining full proficiency in English.

Because of war and civil war on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, education in ethnically divided country has become fragmented. Because of postwar divisions thirteen different ministries of education or similar bodies are responsible for education, resulting in inefficiency and low quality. To overcome differences, a committee of experts…

In this article, Lauren S. Cardon states that what faculty see as student apathy or disengagement in the millennial generation is due to a number of factors, most of which are associated with the technological revolution. Millennial students are generally resistant to highly abstract material if not given the opportunity to reflect on its…

General education is at the forefront of the challenges facing faculty and administrators as they develop initiatives to address the nationwide trend focused on college completion programs. Attempts to trim core requirements and shift courses to online environments could be one answer for providing greater course access, for improving enrollments,…