International Conference on Education, 35th Session. Final Report.

Overview & Synopsis

The publication presents the report of a 1975 international conference sponsored by UNESCO to discuss general educational trends. The report is presented in four parts. Part I identifies five major trends: reform, democratization, access to higher education, innovation, and life-long education. Part II focuses on the changing role of the teacher and on teacher education. Topics discussed include preparing the teacher for change, constraints of reality, policies, and problems of continuing teacher education, and educating the teacher educators. The conclusions are that teachers should be honored by an International Teachers' Year and that more rational patterns of continuous teacher education should be devised. Part III presents a recommendation to ministries of education of UNESCO nations concerning the role of the teacher. Underlying principles of the 36 suggestions are that the teacher-learner relationship remain at the center of the educational process, education authorities keep informed about educational change, teachers be involved in setting aims and objectives of teacher education, and teacher education be nondiscriminatory. Part IV presents a report recommending adoption of the International Standard Classification of Education as a basic standard in all international reporting of statistics on education. Appendices include speeches, a list of conference documents, and a directory of participants. (Author/DB)