H. A. L. Fisher came from an influential family, studied at Oxford and in France and Germany, and became an Oxford academic with a strong interest in public affairs. In 1912 he became Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University and four years later was recruited by the new British Prime Minister to become his Minister of Education. In that office he…

Focusing mainly on secondary schools in Great Britain, the article discusses educational problems which are likely to be of major importance in the 1980s. These include decreasing funds, demands for a return to basic objectives, controversy over centralization vs decentralization, and traditional vs alternative education. (DB)

Presents an historical review, from an English perspective, of the growth of public schooling in the United States since 1776. Topics discussed include progressivism, social influences, free school movements, pressures of immigration, the frontier, and community influences. (Author/DB)

Access to higher education in Great Britain has been restricted. The structure of British secondary education limits the number of potential college applicants. In order to maintain its funding and undergraduate enrollment levels, Oxford must admit more students from state-run schools. (AM)

Considers the contrasts and changing nature of teaching in France, England, and the United States. Reveals that sweeping public policy directives in the early 1960s created radically different educational institutions in England and France. By contrast, the United States has remained fairly constant with its emphasis on local autonomy. (MJP)