Added to the right of free public schooling for all is the option, in many countries, of taking that schooling in the language of the home. Mother-tongue education, however, brings with it many problems; e.g., if citizens don't know languages of wide communication, the country may suffer economically. (RM)

The question of whether or not mother-tongue education is the best medium of instruction is examined, using social and cultural criteria instead of the usual academic/cognitive criteria. The real significance of using disadvantaged vernaculars is that such use symbolizes to minority groups a lessening of relative disadvantage. (RM)

It is of prime importance that children begin their education in their mother tongue, as this will provide the optimum conditions for the development of the personality and will improve their social chances. Mother-tongue education is beginning to be accepted in a number of European countries. (RM)

Tunisian students in the elementary grades were observed to see how they progressed, particularly when they began studying French in third grade. In year three the best pupils showed a marked improvement in academic achievement; pupils from middle or low socio-cultural brackets stagnated or regressed. Economic and cultural factors are discussed.…

An evaluation of the Six-Year Primary Project showed that Nigerian students who were taught in their mother-tongue (Yoruba) for the first six years of primary school scored higher academically than students who were taught with their mother-tongue for the first three years and then were switched to English. (RM)

Studies show that the use of the mother-tongue (Guarani) as a medium of instruction with students in Paraguay is the most significant determining factor in the acquisition of knowledge. The discrepancy between educational ideology and educational policies in Paraguay regarding the implementation of bilingual education programs negatively affects…

The political changes which have occurred in Spain, e.g., the introduction of a democratic system of government, have made it possible for Catalonia to re-establish the official use of its language--Catalan--and to use this language in education. This process of change and educational practices today are discussed. (RM)

Educational practices and problems in Yugoslavia with regard to bilingual education are described. The effect of mother-tongue education on the students' academic achievement and literacy attainment is also examined. (RM)

Examined are (1) the educational history of bilingual education in the United States, including educational legislation; (2) research findings concerning bilingual education and student achievement, student attitudes and behavior, student integration, and cost and feasibility; and (3) the implications of these legal and research issues for federal…

China was one of the first countries to use radio and television for higher education purposes. Today there are approximately 29 radio and television universities throughout the country. Examined are the teaching methods, staff and students, achievements and limitations, and plans for expansion. (RM)

A prominent Soviet educator is interviewed about education in the Soviet Union. Topics covered include the goals of Soviet education, the current 10-year plan for education, school consolidation and upgrading, the use of national languages and Russian in the school system, and educational research and its dissemination. (IS)

Because of world-wide economic problems, less developed countries have less money to spend for education and are more interested in the correlation between greater education and development goals. Research on the relationships between education and productivity in the agricultural, modern, and urban sectors and education and income distribution…

Textbooks are an integral part of the educational process and are especially important in the Third World. However, the process of textbook development is particularly difficult in these regions because of problems associated with multinational publishing companies, copyright law, and difficulties in developing indigenous publishing industries in…

Textbook publishing has grown rapidly in developing nations, but publishing organizations in these countries have encountered problems as well as successes. Problems exist in assessing needs, in financing, developing, printing, and distributing the manuscripts, in manufacturing, and in purchasing policies. Successes in solving these problems are…

Great strides have been made in providing textbooks in Asian schools, and these books are increasingly good. However, problems exist when teachers depend too heavily upon textbooks. Teachers are learning to develop instructional materials, and new techniques are being introduced, but the impact of these changes is not yet certain. (IS)