Mission schools in Africa in the first half of the twentieth century were in many ways microcosms of the great educational debates of the times. The objectives of policies regarding access, governance and curriculum were part of a historical evolution of mission education but they were also increasingly a reflection of significant new trends that…

As lifelong learning grows in popularity, few comprehensive pictures of the phenomenon have emerged. The "Routledge International Handbook of Lifelong Learning" provides a disciplined and complete overview of lifelong learning internationally. The theoretical structure puts the learner at the centre and the book emanates from there,…

This article critically reflects upon the "divides" among actors within two currently popular education policies in low-income countries: decentralisation and Universal Primary Education (UPE). Current literatures suggest that the existing decentralisation framework tends to overlook the "divides" among actors that often impede…

This article explores cultural factors impeding members of the school community from engaging in shared decision-making (SDM) processes. It reports on findings from a larger qualitative research study of SDM in Egypt's secondary schools. The purpose of the study was to identify barriers to SDM, using data collected from nine general secondary…

The Council of Chief State School Officers calls upon educators, policymakers, service providers, and community leaders to create new ways of supporting families and assuring that each child's earliest years provide the foundation for a creative life. Given recent changes in the realities facing children, the council believes that there is no more…

The article considers some basic principles necessary for sound learning in adult basic education. Educational traditions prevalent in Quebec are also discussed and changes are suggested. (Author/MW)

On December 7, 1988, the director of the Regional Pedagogic Centre of the Netherlands, Dook Kopmels, presented a workshop that focused on primary education in Ireland. Contents concerned: (1) official aims of primary education in Ireland; (2) responsibility for organizing primary education at national, regional, local, and school levels; (3) the…

Three central components of the Montessori method are described and shown to be reflected in the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) guidelines for developmentally appropriate curricula. NAEYC guideline 1C states, "Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction…

Three papers have been collected dealing with basic aspects of early childhood education: professionalism, child development, and knowledge dissemination. The first paper, "The Nature of Professions: Where Is Early Childhood Education?" applies eight main features of the concept of a profession to the current state of the art of early…

The call to a career in education does not come from logic or reason; rather, teachers are propelled by the deeper meaning of education--the meaning behind curricular instruction. Educators are driven by an artistic impulse to guide their students on the individual quest for intellectual enlightenment. An instructor cannot teach the essentials of…

The New Harmony Utopian Society established in southwestern Indiana in 1815 set many precedents from a social and educational perspective. None were more dramatic nor more significant than its contribution to the field of vocational education. The criteria established by its founders for the New Harmony educational system included a practical…

Undertaken at the request of students and colleagues, and because of the many request for copies of his speeches, this book presents a biography and speech transcripts of Ezra Christian Buehler, long-time professor of speech communication at the University of Kansas. Following the preface, the first section contains a biographical sketch,…

This paper explores how basic principles of child development can be used to guide the formation and evaluation of educational policies. Child development principles are those beliefs that, predicated on empirical research, have developed over time. They are generally accepted by child development specialists as the minimum elements necessary for…

A rationale alone is not enough - the school for the "in-betweeners" must also develop its own organization, program and instructional strategies if it is to be successful. (Editor)

A model educational system should provide instruction for the future and reflect national as well as international educational traditions. (Author/KM)