Education & Pedagogy

The position paper examines the roles and responsibilities which adult educators might assume in parent and early childhood education. Written in response to the widely-held view that the American family today is beset by serious problems, the paper attempts to explore, sensitize, and inform the adult education profession of the possibilities available to assist parents in their critical role of child raising. It is felt that adult education can provide delivery systems, coordinate activities, and identify existing resources and processes for finding solutions. The neighborhood-based family resource delivery system is recommended by the council as the optimal means for meeting the needs of the family unit. It is conceived as a locally based, problem identification and solving mechanism, using local resources and involving the family itself in the problem-solving process. (NJ)

This study discusses innovation in the inservice education and training of teachers (INSET) in Australia. Section I discusses the background of the structure of the Australian school system, the role INSET plays in the educational system, national, state, and local policy and structuring, and various other aspects of Australian education. Section II examines six case studies in detail. They include the Australian Government's Schools Commission Teacher Development Program, the Australian Science Teachers Education Project, the Victorian In-Service Education Committee, the Centre for Continuing Education of Teachers in Tasmania, the Teaching Resource Centre of the Australian Capital Territory Schools Authority, and school-based INSET. Section III draws some conclusions regarding INSET, lists the strengths and weaknesses of Australian INSET, and speculates about the future of the program. A bibliography is included. (SK)

A task force comprised of members from the North Carolina State Education Agency has developed a statewide plan for career education, which is outlined. Seven sections present: (1) objectives, task force background, and personnel; (2) a summary of information on North Carolina school programs; (3) a definition of career education encompassing the concepts of learning to live, learning to learn, and learning to make a living; (4) major program components, including curriculum design (K-12), professional development, community involvement, teaching materials, equipment, facilities, and evaluation; (5) identification of State agency roles; (6) 15 suggestions regarding career education program implementation for local school personnel; (7) conclusions. Recommendations are outlined for the program in general, and for curriculum, staffing and professional development, resources, and research and development. A policy statement by the chairman of the State Board of Education regarding the task force report is included. (LH)

Engineering education in the countries of India and Singapore is described. The post-secondary engineering program in India is offered at 132 institutions. Admission procedures are explained, as is the curriculum for students interested in production engineering. Descriptions and photographs of some final year projects are provided. In addition, an explanation of graduate engineering programs and the author's observations concerning student behavior are included. The explanation of engineering education in Singapore begins from a historical sketch of the development of the nation from 1961. During the period of 1962 to 1971, industrial employment has increased from 10,500 to 155,000 persons. Post-secondary education and vocational education are described, as well as the university system. At the university level, the manufacturing engineering curriculum is detailed. Also, as for India, the graduate engineering programs and observations of student behavior are provided. (CP)

ACTIVITIES OF THE UTAH RESEARCH COORDINATING UNIT IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, DURING ITS FIRST 16 MONTHS OF OPERATION, WERE DESCRIBED. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES OF THE UNIT'S VARIED EFFORTS WERE (1) DEVELOPING WITHIN THE UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AN AWARENESS OF THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF RESEARCH TO VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, (2) RENDERING STATEWIDE ASSISTANCE TO PUBLIC SCHOOL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PERSONNEL IN THE DESIGN AND CONDUCT OF RESEARCH PROJECTS, (3) ESTABLISHING A RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL BETWEEN THE COLLEGES AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, (4) ASSISTING IN THE PREPARATION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS, (5) CONDUCTING STATE AND REGIONAL VOCATIONAL RESEARCH WORKSHOPS, (6) INITIATING A PROCEDURE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF VOCATIONAL RESEARCH INFORMATION WITHIN THE STATE, AND (7) FURTHER IDENTIFYING RESEARCHABLE VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROBLEMS IN THE STATE. (JH)

This publication attempts to keep a portion of the educational community in touch with current topics and trends. The present focus is on sex education, a topic of growing concern in educational circles. The texts of three addresses are presented, with audience questions and speaker responses. Dr. Carlfred Broderick gives an overview of sex education: the role sex education plays in children's development; the meaning and implications for understanding emotions, social roles, and skills; and sex education's definition within the sphere of education. Dr. Ernest Van Den Haag asks if sex education in the schools is the solution, and gives may reasons why this is not an ultimate answer. Dr. Esther Schulz presents some practical aspects of introducing sex education into school programs, and sex education's relationships to community and student attitudes and conventional curriculum. This publication was transcribed, published and disseminated through funds from a Title III Elementary and Secondary Education Act grant. (BP)

The operational manual for teachers of adult education in the Rapides Education for Adult Development Program of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, sets forth procedures, policies, philosophies, and programs as a guide to be followed uniformly by all teachers of adult classes. Sections of the manual deal with the definition and legal foundations of the program; its objectives in terms of elementary and secondary education; guidelines pertaining to teachers, supervisors, and student eligibility; types of classes (high school, intermediate, primary, and mixed); time, place, length, and size of classes; instruction (including lesson planning); testing programs; the General Educational Development program and certificates; policy on purchase of materials, payment of teachers, and student expenses; classroom techniques and situations; and forms and records. A brief supplement of revisions and corrections for the 1968-69 program session is included. (ly)

A classified bibliography is presented of 130 University of Wisconsin graduate theses from the Departments of Agricultural and Extension Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Agricultural Journalism, Rural Sociology, Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, Behavioral Disabilities, Educational Policy Studies, and Art Education. Items are arranged by subject matter into categories as defined by Kreitlow's "Taxonomy of Needed Research"; these consist basically of characteristics of adults as individuals and as learners, response of adults to instructional methods, and the adult education enterprise. Following each of the 20 subsections of the taxonomy are numbers referring to thesis titles (numbers for Ph.D. dissertations are underlined). These titles are listed alphabetically in the following section. (authors/ly)

This bibliography on adult education in Germany lists German-language documents (some with abstracts) arranged in three historical periods and a supplement of English-language documents with abstracts. Twelve documents from the period prior to World War I reflect a searching for the fundamental aims of popular education; 32 from the Weimer Republic period, when adult education was formally accepted, cover the establishment of "Volkshochschulen" (folk schools) and practical aspects of adult education; 56 from the years since World War II cover the reestablishment of separate systems of adult education in East and West Germany and the continuation of the folk school in both, as the primary institution for the education of adults. Six journals in the area are included, and 13 English-language documents with abstracts. There follow a listing of publications of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education, notes on their availability, and an order form for the ERIC Document Reproduction Service. (EB)

FOLLOWING THE FORMAT STIPULATED BY THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION, THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE ACTIVITIES AND METHODS OF RHODE ISLAND'S 88 COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROJECTS. HIGHLIGHTED ARE FIVE PROJECTS FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND EXEMPLARY PROJECTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION, SUMMER KINDERGARTEN ACTIVITIES, AND SUMMER LIBRARY SERVICES. TABULAR DATA ON SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, DROPOUT RATES, STANDARDIZED TESTS RESULTS, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION ARE PRESENTED. TOTAL STATE EXPENDITURES ON ALL PROJECTS WAS $3,578,640, 57 PERCENT OF WHICH WAS SPENT ON READING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. THE EXISTENCE OF NUMEROUS REMEDIAL READING PROGRAMS IN RHODE ISLAND HAS CREATED AN AWARENESS AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL OF THE NEED FOR ADVANCED COURSES AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN READING. (LB)

This document contains part of the final report from the first meeting of the Inter-American Council on Education, Science, and Culture, held in Vina del Mar, Chile, in 1970. The report presents general policy and guidelines which should be followed in the establishment of adult elementary education programs. The general discussion covers literacy programs, educational objectives, program organization and administration, content, methods and materials, teacher education, the use of radio and television, and coordination with various organizations and universities. Also included in this document are the objectives and guidelines of the Regional Program of Educational Development in adult education and a description of the mechanism in such a program for sponsoring research projects. The requirements for the preparation and approval of research proposals and the criteria for evaluating projects are also described. (VM)

The essential nature of the relationship between patterns of education and development implies a causal connection between education and unemployment. Potentials for improvement of employment opportunities and participation in economic growth, together with potentials for improvement of the relevance of education and training to development, are examined. Several aspects of economic planning and institutional arrangements should be scrutinized if progress is to be made in improving the articulation from school to work. Today's society, with its lack of synchronization among economic progress, educational aspirations, intra-education objectives, world-of-work needs, employment opportunities, and financial resources available to education, poses the need for new appraisals and new solutions to link education to development and development to education. Educators must create and staff a strong capability for self-examination, for research and development, for appropriate innovation, and for implementation of innovations which demonstrate a utility in meeting education's imperatives. (Author/SHM)

This document discusses the various methods that might be used in funding higher education, with special emphasis on access to colleges and universities as related to educational finance. There are two major theories regarding the funding of higher education. The first is the individual benefits theory. Those who represent this theory claim that the individual student is the primary beneficiary of the education and therefore that the student should absorb most of the costs of getting an education. Those who support the second theory, the societal benefits theory, claim that society is the main beneficiary of higher education and that society should, therefore, be responsible for the financial burdens. The author agrees with the latter theory and feels that in order for access to higher education to be truly equal to all persons, society and not the individual must bear the major portion of education costs. (HS)

With the increasing emphasis on the concept of career education, there is a need to integrate World of Work activities and existing vocational education programs. To achieve this, 279 teachers, teacher educators, state personnel, and industry representatives met to formulate objectives and to suggest specific action steps in each of nine areas. These areas were: (1) The Scope of Education in Agribusiness and Natural Resources Occupations, (2) Manpower Data and Training Needs in Agribusiness and Natural Resources, (3) Meeting the Needs of People in Target Groups, (4) Providing Occupational Experiences, (5) Guidelines for Developing and Using Student Performance Objectives, (6) Transitions In Organizations for Leadership Development In Students, (7) Preparing and Improving Professional Personnel, (8) Providing Instructional Programs For Adults, and (9) Providing Information and Obtaining Public Understanding. Forty-seven states and Puerto Rico were represented at this 4-day seminar. (JS)

Education directly determines life, liberty, and happiness for that segment of the population which can afford better educational facilities. For economically and socially disadvantaged people, education only perpetuates inequality. Financial inequality results in some school districts spending more money per student than other school districts. There is a high positive correlation between a public school student's socioeconomic status and the amount of public money spent on his/her education. What are needed are new forms of school financing where local financing of education is replaced by state, and possibly federal, disbursement of public education funds. However, the essential objective is not to equalize expenditures but to equalize opportunity in the form of compensatory education programs for the disadvantaged, health care for pregnant women, and post-natal instruction in homemaking and baby care. (Author/SB)