Examines the social construction of literacy in China after the Communist revolution, demonstrating that official literacy ideologies contributed to the formation and reproduction of rural-urban differences in Chinese society. Suggests that the spread of literacy potentially can contribute to greater and more elaborate social divisions. (24…

A Conservative member of the British Parliament addresses the critical need to develop the cultural resource of creative talent. The prime inhibitor of creative development is thought to be the walls of bureaucracy which pervade modern life. Implications for British schools choosing to opt out of local authority control are outlined. (DB)

Describes a preprofessional teacher training program (a pedagogical class) that was developed in Russia during the period of "Perestroika." Focusing on the sociocultural conditions of development, the article details students' practical work and outlines some features of pedagogical classes, secondary school curricula, and pedagogical…

Every school board would be wise to agree on a set of beliefs about how lasting change is made and how board operations can foster desired changes. Decisions are best made through a search for solutions that will at least partly satisfy everyone. Consensus is the preferred strategy for making decisions. (MLF)

It is argued that the relationship of South Africa's liberal universities and the state from 1948-90 was characterized not only by conflict, but also by considerable cooperation, by which all races benefited. The complexity of the relationship and some of the issues, such as apartheid, academic freedom, and censorship are examined. (MSE)

The president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Texas) is the latest in a series Baptist seminary presidents to be fired or resign after conflict with conservative trustees. Critics are concerned about implications for academic freedom; donors are withholding gifts; and an accrediting agency has questioned the firing. (MSE)

Chinese "people-managed schools" began in the 1940s as popular voluntary village schools providing flexible relevant education to rural peasants, but are regarded today as low status and low quality. This change reflects the Chinese Communist Party's incremental move away from both decentralized decision making and populist education to…

Reviews David Cameron's "More than an Academic Question," which summarizes the development of Canadian universities and provides a framework for understanding the relationship between universities and the government, outlining the theme of Canadian federalism and discussing the shifting balance between federal and provincial policies.…

Describes a Russian exhibit of scientific and technological applications for education. Discusses how the nation's transition to a market economy is dramatically changing technical and professional education. Concludes that the most important result of the conference was that people began to rethink their activities. (CFR)

Reports on educational happenings in Quebec (Canada). Discusses school violence, a multiple murder at a Canadian university, student academic achievement, and the possibility of Quebec withdrawing from the Canadian union. Predicts that Quebec will remain part of Canada. (CFR)

Explores some of the problematic historical commitments of English studies and reasons for the current rhetoric of crisis within the discipline. Focuses on English as reading and the issues of identity, otherness, and cultural politics in English studies. Argues that a move toward a Cultural Studies perspective is overdue, describing several…

Outlines some of the challenges facing tertiary education courses in early childhood in Australia, including the competency movement, university and TAFE (technical and further education) restructuring, articulation between courses, and effective communication in a field which spans children from birth through age eight. Notes that outcomes of…

A discussion of public pressures to measure and describe college faculty work looks at public concerns about higher education, causes of decline in public support, the public's solution, faculty reactions, the nature of resulting research on faculty workload, and how these issues are likely to evolve. (MSE)

Based on personal experience rather than empirical evidence, "Forked Tongue" presents a biased view that could damage the future of bilingual education in the United States. The book considers bilingual education a threat because it prolongs the learning of English and promotes the maintenance of other "un-American" languages…

Drawing on research that considers out-of-school conditions, in-school conditions, and transformational leadership, the article constructs a strategy for building teachers' commitment to change, demonstrating that alterability of variables by facilitators of teacher commitment can positively influence curriculum reform. Findings explaining…