Comparative education can provide a background of contrasts and possibilities against which to examine one's own problems. For comparative education to be effective, background conditions must be understood; educational systems must be examined as wholes, in their contexts; and ideas should only be borrowed from systems sufficiently similar to…

Examines views of the role of knowledge in educational policies of countries of the Mercosul (the common market of South America's southern cone) and the influence of two international aid organizations with conflicting views (productivity-oriented goals versus cultural diversity and equity concerns). Discusses Brazilian national curricular…

Considers issues concerning the education of minorities, in Europe and elsewhere, by examining the vexed question of the nature of identity. Offers the concept of identity "markers," now most commonly nationality and citizenship, but changeable in times of crisis. Discusses culture switching, intermediate or multiple cultural identities,…

Attempts to delineate an area where comparative education can help inform policy, namely the interaction of educational systems in multi-national contexts, seeking to relate the discussion to the theme of the Third World Congress of Comparative Education, and paying particular attention to the oddly-neglected case of the various national systems…

Discusses the problems of perspective in dealing with minority cultures, citing many examples from world history. Discusses effects of dominant languages and cultures upon minority ones. Mobility is examined as a feature of peripheral cultures with fragile economies. Implications for multicultural education discussed. 23 notes and references. (TES)

Four sections discuss multicultural education in Scotland, i.e., historical background; cultural minorities (Gaels, Lowland Scots speakers, Irish, Asian, and others); minority needs within the educational system; and minorities, majorities, and the wider context. (AH)

Emphasizes the importance of teacher training in the development of educational policies, and the need for teachers to continually update their education. (RK)

Describes the history and current usage of three minority languages: Gaelic and Scots in Scotland and Catalan in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia. Discusses the role of language in cultural identity, preservation, and revitalization and government policies on language of instruction, teacher education, and bilingual education. (SV)