The Nordic tradition of folkeoplysning (Denmark, Norway) or folkbildning (Sweden) is a form of adult education--"people's enlightenment"--linked to the emergence of democracy. Differing social, political, and cultural emphases attached to "folk"/"people" in various European languages have implications for the role of folkeoplysning in the…

A survey and group interviews with unemployed young people aged 18-25 in Derby (England), Hannover (western Germany), and Leipzig (eastern Germany) examined the relative importance to their life and work transitions of individual agency and structural factors. Two national job training "schemes" for unemployed youth are compared: the British "New…

Data from interviews with Palestinian activist college students about their earlier schooling in Israel are used to illustrate Palestinian teachers' dilemmas and challenges and to confirm that the Israeli authorities systematically use formal education to repress Palestinian national identity and awareness among students. Educational goals of…

An ethnohistorical study of a small rural elementary school in Trinidad and Tobago during the colonial period (1931-53) examines four ideologies--mental discipline, social efficiency, humanism, and child study--that underlay curriculum planning and pedagogical practices and converged to maintain the colonial state. The postcolonial persistence of…

The history curriculum in Hong Kong schools is unique in having separate subjects--history and Chinese history--with distinct content, pedagogy, and assumptions about the discipline of history. In contrast to conventional theories of colonial education, this may have been a mutually convenient collaboration between the government and local…

Examines the persistence of academic exam-oriented curricula and teaching styles of colonial origin in Lesotho and Zimbabwe despite differences in colonial history and current ideological and economic systems. Discusses the lack of reform policy implementation, ruling class interests, popular pressures and conservative educational attitudes, and…

Examines connections between democratization of schooling and three dimensions of social structure: political system and governance, wealth/poverty, and gender relations. Discusses nine processes and strategies for democratization in education: definition of democracy, legislation and policy, decentralization of education, teacher education,…

Authoritarian rule in Africa has exacerbated poverty levels in six ways. Achievement of greater democracy depends upon political culture and civil society in Africa becoming more democratic; education must play a part in teaching democratic values and behaviors. Examples show how education has not furthered democracy in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and…

Democracy is deeply rooted in Japanese history but not in a form that is readily recognizable to Western observers. A study of student decision making in an elementary classroom found that student attitudes about what children should decide were shaped by students' prior experience of decision making, and that their style of decision making…

Reflecting Ugandan culture, the national curriculum on HIV/AIDS and sex education was authoritarian and conformist, and students considered it irrelevant to their lives. An action research project that allowed student choice of classroom procedures and content concerning AIDS and sexuality not only increased student knowledge but also increased…

A 2-year British project aimed to foster greater understanding and skills in democratic education among lecturers and students at the School of Education, The Gambia College (Gambia). Project workshops were very well received and appeared to affect participant attitudes but had widely varying impacts on classroom behaviors and school culture. The…

A review of the educational history of South Korea provides a frame for descriptions of authoritarianism in various school contexts. The lack of student rights, teacher rights, and parent rights is discussed, and the need for radical transformation of the educational structure and school culture is proposed. (Contains 31 references.) (SV)

School governance reform in post-apartheid South Africa aimed to democratize schooling while accommodating diverse school histories of underdevelopment or self-management. Analysis of relevant legislation shows the reform was structured to allow representative democracy and partnerships. But two recent studies suggest that governance reforms have…

Argues for the need to adopt a more participatory and research-based approach to teacher development in India. Describes the democratizing opportunities offered by a research-based collaborative approach to teacher educator development in a 2-year project in three states. Concludes that this approach requires individual development of autonomy and…

UNESCO defines education for sustainable development (ESD) as covering a broad range of issues from natural resources and HIV/AIDS to poverty reduction. ESD thus becomes a term that must be subtle yet clear, holistic yet tangible. One option for ESD, in dealing with this complexity, is to simplify its content and narrow the issues it addresses.…