Discusses the 1983 "A Nation at Risk" report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education in terms of the history of schooling in the U.S. from the late 1890s to the present. Questions the materialistic emphasis of the commission's definitions of the purposes of education and of the "national interest." (CB)

Presents conflicting views of New Zealand's schooling from teachers' perspectives and examines some of the reforms and reflections of New Zealand's educators. Discusses some of the implications for U.S. schooling. (BB)