Rural Education and the Urban Reform Movement.

Overview & Synopsis

There are major differences between rural and urban education, yet most educational reform efforts have been heavily urban oriented. While reform movements of the 1980s may have benefited urban schools, they have only added to the problems of rural education. Some of the conditions often associated with rural schools are: poverty, reform generated problems stemming from the promotion of national standards and assessments, failure to consider basic inequities among schools, an unwillingness on the part of rural students to seek individual recognition or to engage in individual competition, and the diversity of cultures within rural areas. It is suggested that in order to improve rural education the unique needs of rural schools and the characteristics of rural students must be understood and addressed. Teacher education programs must include rural education as a legitimate entity in curricular studies and pedagogical approaches; educational textbooks need to distinguish between rural and urban education; multicultural education programs should address the diversity found in rural areas; and rural education must be based on academically demanding rural, not urban standards. (LL)