Building strong ties between Appalachian schools and communities was the topic of the Appalachian Regional Commission's October 2002 annual conference (Maryville, Tennessee). Main speakers focused on maintaining a long-term perspective on investments in education, creating rural "places of opportunity" that can retain educated people,…

Notes that limited opportunities for education prevent many Vietnamese people from realizing their full potential. Discusses the need for education and training, describes target groups and training curriculum for distance education, outlines directives and perspectives, and details national policies on open learning and distance education…

The author argues against specialized education programs for rural children in developing nations, asserting that these children's education should not essentially differ from that considered suitable for urban children. For a contrasting opinion, see the article by David R. Evans (pp232-43). (See AA 533 194.) (SJL)

Reacting to the preceding article (pp216-21) by Elinor G. Barber, the author argues against a single formal system of general education for both rural and urban areas of developing nations. (See AA 533 193.) (SJL)

School at the Center, a U.S. place-based educational initiative, was successfully trialed in North Queensland (Australia). For place-based education to take root in Australia, place-based educational strategies must be taught in preservice teacher education programs. However, to be seriously considered by teacher education programs, place-based…

This collection features 11 papers from a national symposium on rural education. The papers are consistent in noting that while there are common elements among all schools regardless of location, rural schools operate within a unique context. Several papers address the diversity of rural locales and the challenges educators face in such locales.…

African countries need to develop new approaches to socio-economic development and education which are appropriate to the individual needs of each country. The thrust of development programs should be towards small-scale agriculture and industry, self-help villages, and community-based public health programs in rural areas. (AM)

The South can move out of the shadows of the harsh economic realities of the last 15 years and into the sunshine of developing new strategies to take advantage of the region's strengths. These strengths include a vast wealth of natural resources; a Sunbelt location; and most important, a huge reservoir of undeveloped human capital. The road to…

Winning essays on rural school/community cooperation written by elementary, middle, and high school students recommend community volunteering to raise money, improve school appearance, and help with student supervision; building on the strengths of rural life; revitalizing rural communities through economic development; increased experiential…

Canadians identify education as key to economic opportunity and advancement, yet rural areas experience teacher shortages, school closings, and extended transportation times. A growing native population in the North needs teachers with cultural and linguistic qualifications. Advantages of rural areas are close communities, good school-community…

The conference brought Southern state and local leaders together to discuss ways to revitalize depressed rural areas and to improve citizens' quality of life. Papers discussed: (1) goals for rural educational improvement; (2) human resource barriers to community and economic development in the South; (3) survey results indicating that Alabama…

Describes need to improve education in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District which has the lowest percentage of high school graduates in the nation. Reports peoples' perceptions of educational problems; details community financial support; provides comparative statistics on educational attainment, math and reading mastery, dropouts,…

Designed to contribute to the study of specific problems and the identification of educational needs in rural development, this annotated bibliography contains 345 entries limited to the period between 1975 and 1979. Subheadings are: General; Development planning; Adult education; Educational programmes and content; Methods: communication,…

To produce skilled manpower and reduce its reliance on foreigners, Papua New Guinea has increased access to education. But the country has lately been facing the problem of youth leaving school, along with problems of mass unemployment, rural-urban migration, and crime. Strategies to solve these problems are discussed. (IS)

This report assesses conditions in the South since the original 1986 report "Shadows in the Sunbelt." Findings indicate that economic change is moving even more rapidly than in 1986. However, although several metropolitan areas have burgeoned and some rural communities have made a successful economic transition, many Southern places…