Changes in the governance system for higher education in Peru to meet the challenges of the 21st century

The competition in markets, the distribution of limited resources based on productivity and performance, and the efficient management of universities are changing the criteria of trust and legitimacy of the educational system in Peru. Universities are perceived more as institutions of the public sector, while the services they offer must rather contribute to the modernization of the emerging society and the knowledge economy. Higher Educations reforms - initiated in the 1980s - have been inspired by the successful university organizations that have managed to change their governance and addressed to transform certain bureaucratic institutions into organizations capable of playing active role in this global competition for resources and best talent. Within this context, Peruvian universities are facing two major challenges: adapting themselves to new global perspectives and being able to develop a better response to society demands, needs and expectations. This article proposes a model of governance system for higher education in Peru that gives a comprehensive solution to these challenges, allowing dealing with the problems of universities for their development and inclusion within the global trends. For this purpose, a holistic and qualitative methodologic approach was developed, considering an integrated method which considered educational reality as a whole, understanding its facts, components and elements that affects its outcomes. It is proposed to define a policy for university education in Peru that permeates society, by changing the planning model from a social reform model to a policy analysis model, where the Peruvian State acts as sole responsible for responding to the demanding society as its legal representative complemented with some external and independent bodies that define the basis of best practice, as it is being done in many university models worldwide.

Yutori Kyoiku and the uncertainty of recent neo-liberal reforms in Japanese higher education

This paper draws upon the current situation within Japanese Higher Education. In particular the paper focuses on educational reforms and how they relate to the notions of Yutori Kyoiku which constituted a major attempt by Japanese education to develop individual student capacity. A clear subtext of the recent neo-liberal reform agenda is a desire to incorporated free-market ideals into the Japanese educational system. This paper raises several important problems connected to the reforms such as the decrease in classroom hours, changes to the contents of textbooks and a growing discrepancy in academic skills between students in different localities. These education reforms have impacted on notions of Yutori Kyoiku through the continuation of nationally standardized testing and changes directed at controlling the practices of classroom teachers. While acknowledging the current Japanese cabinet’s (DP) education policy has been inherited from an earlier LDP government, the paper points to similarities between the current reforms and the iconic Meiji era reforms of the late 1800s.

Lead the change series: Q & A with Allan Luke

An overview of current issues in school and system reform.

Kouluromaanien opettajakuva 1930-luvulta 1990-luvulle : ihanteellisia, kapinallisia ja oman tien kulkijoita

The aim of this research is to define what kind of characters and images of teachers appear in Finnish school novels describing social changes and educational political reform from the 1930s to the 1990s written by teachers, particularly grammar school teachers. As comparison material, I use school novels written by Swedish school teachers, in which the changes in Swedish society and educational system and their expressions in the characters of teachers of the school novels are studied. The main focus of my study is centred particularly on school novels in which the images of grammar school teachers are described during times of school reform. From these starting points, the main objectives of the study are novels written by Finnish school teachers Anneli Toijala and Sampo Haahtela and Swedish school teacher Hugo Swensson, who was inspired by Haahtela. The research is qualitative multidisciplinary case analysis. The research method is content analysis, and the approach is hermeneutic. The research is divided into eight main chapters. After the introduction I introduce the essential concepts of my research. In the third main chapter I define the research function. In that context, besides the research objectives, I introduce former research on character description in literature, I define the methodological solutions with grounds and present the research material. Both literary research methods and sociological terminology are applied in the research alongside with pedagogical research. The research results show that images of teachers are diverse. At one end of the spectrum these represent immature pictures of teachers withdrawn into the routines of everyday life; at the other, they advance and reflect the reformist teacher. This becomes clearly evident when comparing the teacher "monsters" of the classic authors to the educational optimists at the end of the 20th century. The results show that the images of teachers in school novels are almost without exception coherent, psychologically credible and consistent, and hardly any different from the images of teachers in the Swedish school novels used as comparison material. On the contrary, plenty of similarities are found. The comprehensive school reform, educational political discourse and teachers' feelings are realistically clarified in the school novels that describe the period. Keywords: literature image, school reform, school novel, teacher image, reflection, internal co-operation in school

A relação família-creche no programa Primeira Infância Completa

O tema central da presente dissertação está focalizado na relação família-creche. Este estudo possui, como objetivo principal, analisar como essa relação foi compreendida em três creches públicas cariocas que desenvolveram as atividades do programa Primeira Infância Completa (PIC). Tal programa fez parte das políticas públicas educacionais do município do Rio de Janeiro de 2009 a 2013. Foi direcionado a crianças de até 3 (três) anos de idade que não obtiveram matrícula regular nas creches. As atividades do PIC aconteciam aos sábados com crianças e, para as famílias, eram desenvolvidos os encontros da Escola de Pais. A pesquisa analisa os documentos oficiais (decretos, portarias, resoluções, relatórios, projetos, outras publicações internas) de criação e ampliação do programa, incluindo aqueles referentes às consultorias da UNESCO realizadas em 2012. Foi desenvolvido um levantamento bibliográfico sobre os temas família e a relação família-creche, nas bibliotecas eletrônicas SciELO e Google Acadêmico, com artigos publicados entre 2005 e 2014. A investigação empírica se deu no diálogo com alguns atores do programa, participantes das três creches municipais, totalizando 122 sujeitos, entre gestoras, professoras, agentes auxiliares de creche e familiares. As estratégias metodológicas utilizadas foram entrevistas, grupos focais e oficinas Os dados da segunda consultoria da UNESCO serviram de base para a construção das questões centrais desta pesquisa. Os resultados nos apontam que, para os sujeitos que participaram do programa, os propósitos do mesmo nem sempre foram claros. Embora tenha acontecido no espaço físico das creches (portanto, da Educação), com uma intenção intersetorial, seus objetivos tinham um forte cunho assistencial, caracterizando-o como uma modalidade alternativa de atividades para crianças e familiares. As famílias viam no programa o caminho para a conquista da vaga semanal para as suas crianças e, quando isso não acontecia, ficavam frustrados e deixavam de participar. O esforço das gestoras para a realização do programa foi sua marca de qualidade. A experiência do PIC deixou de legado para as instituições novas formas de pensar a proposta pedagógica e de lidar com as famílias, crianças e funcionários na jornada semanal

Formação cívica e formação de professores: limites e potencialidades

A reorganização curricular do Ensino Básico de 2001 representou uma mudança de paradigma: uma aposta na flexibilidade, na integração e na autonomia. Uma das principais inovações desta reforma foi a criação de áreas curriculares não disciplinares, entre elas a Formação Cívica. Uma década volvida qual o impacto desta decisão? Estudos anteriores revelaram o uso administrativo e burocrático da Formação Cívica, ao serviço do Diretor de Turma e das suas responsabilidades de gestão da turma e resolução de conflitos. Num cenário de defraudamento das expetativas iniciais depositadas neste domínio não disciplinar e convencidos que estávamos da importância de potenciar espaços reais de promoção da Cidadania nas escolas desencadeámos um estudo de modelização dupla investigação-formação que nos permitisse compreender qual o papel da formação de professores neste domínio e os respetivos limites e potencialidades da Formação Cívica. Com base no pressuposto de que a ação de qualquer professor em contexto de sala de aula depende do conhecimento profissional que possui acerca de um determinado domínio curricular e reconhecendo a ausência de mecanismos de formação específica para a concretização dos tempos letivos de Formação Cívica, estruturámos o nosso trabalho com o intuito de contribuir para a construção de conhecimento sobre a natureza da formação de professores em Formação Cívica. Realizado no contexto da formação contínua de professores, o presente estudo desenvolveu-se em duas etapas fundamentais que se foram interligando entre momentos de investigação, reflexão, formação, recolha e análise de dados. A abordagem metodológica que se delineou para todas as fases assumiu um cariz qualitativo e crítico-interpretativo. Numa primeira fase, realizámos um estudo exploratório que nos permitiu identificar conceções, práticas e contextos no domínio da Formação Cívica. Selecionámos uma escola no distrito de Aveiro e entrevistámos 10 professores do 3.º CEB, coordenação e direção da escola, analisámos documentos oficiais e observámos aulas. Concluímos que a operacionalização da Formação Cívica está refém de um conjunto de condicionalismos, entre eles: a ausência de orientações curriculares; a sobreposição de funções do Diretor de Turma; o não reconhecimento das funções pedagógicas de uma área não disciplinar; a ausência de preparação científica e pedagógica dos professores responsáveis por este tempo letivo. A segunda fase do estudo contemplou a conceção, desenvolvimento, implementação e avaliação de um percurso formativo projetado com base nos resultados do estudo exploratório e da revisão da literatura realizada para o efeito. O percurso formativo, desenvolvido na modalidade de Oficina de Formação (OF), envolveu e alicerçou-se no potencial das tecnologias (participação numa comunidade online; criação de blogues; desenvolvimento de recursos digitais) e envolveu sete professores. Dos professores participantes na OF, foram analisados em detalhe o percurso formativo de três professoras de diferentes escolas do ensino básico e com diferentes níveis de experiência letiva em Formação Cívica. A realização deste percurso formativo permitiu-nos: i) identificar processos de reconstrução do conceito de cidadania e do lugar da Formação Cívica; ii) identificar uma visão mais alargada e transformadora da Formação Cívica ao invés de abordagens restritas de cariz administrativo; ii) analisar a importância da partilha de experiências, do feedback, do suporte e da reflexão no processo formativo para o desenvolvimento das práticas pedagógico-didáticas; iv) conceptualizar o conhecimento profissional docente associado à Formação Cívica. Consideramos que este estudo contribui para a necessária reflexão sobre o espaço e o papel da Educação para a Cidadania no sistema educativo Português, assim como para o debate da afirmação da Formação Cívica (com esta ou outra designação mas necessariamente com novos contornos), em particular no currículo do ensino básico. Sustentamos ainda a importância fundamental da formação contínua (de carácter ativo e reflexivo) e da construção partilhada do conhecimento para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores de Formação Cívica, necessário para dar resposta aos desafios da Educação para a Cidadania.

Étude de la mise en oeuvre de la réforme du curriculum québécois du primaire, de 1997 à 2003

Les politiques éducatives se multiplient à l’échelle des pays industrialisés mais celles-ci semblent rencontrer de graves problèmes d’atteinte de résultats concrets et satisfaisants. La mise en œuvre d’une politique, notamment les stratégies gouvernementales « hybrides » sélectionnées, c’est-à-dire des stratégies d’implantation de politiques qui misent à la fois sur des stratégies « top-down » et aussi « bottom-up », semble être un élément-clé à considérer pour leur efficience (Gather-Thurler, 2000; Van Zanten, 2004; Fullan, 2005, 2007). Or, les connaissances concernant ces stratégies de mise en œuvre sont partielles, encore peu développées et les raisons qui expliquent ces choix politiques se font rares; ce qui rend la production de politiques effectives et durables difficile (Fullan, 2000; Leithwood et Earl, 2000; Van Zanten, 2004). Le Québec a entrepris, en 1997, une réforme à grande échelle de son système d’éducation; réforme qui mise explicitement sur des stratégies gouvernementales « hybrides » pour sa réalisation. Cette étude s’attarde à cette réforme, plus spécifiquement à sa réforme du curriculum au primaire, afin de : 1) retracer les grands moments-clés de la mise en œuvre de la politique associés aux différentes dimensions du concept d’« hybridité »; 2) identifier et décrire les stratégies gouvernementales « hybrides » qui leur sont associées; 3) formuler des hypothèses explicatives provisoires et les valider; 4) élaborer un modèle explicatif et 5) expliciter l’incidence du modèle proposé sur les théories existantes. Cette étude de cas est effectuée par l’entremise de deux formes de cueillette de données complémentaires : une analyse documentaire et des entrevues semi-dirigées. Une analyse documentaire est réalisée à partir des documents formels de l’autorité publique (N=14) et d’une revue de presse, de 1995 à 2003 (N=648). Les entrevues (N=23) visent, pour leur part, à recueillir les propos des : 1) concepteurs et décideurs; 2) opérationnalisateurs; 3) concepteurs-opérationnalisateurs et 4) experts. La combinaison des données recueillies permet d’établir la comparaison entre le processus et la structure (Meny et Thoenig, 1989), le prescriptif et l’effectif, afin de comprendre la vraie dynamique qui a animé le processus de mise en œuvre de la politique étudiée. Ainsi, l’examen du processus de mise en œuvre de la réforme du curriculum québécois du primaire permet de retracer le modèle d’implantation de la politique curriculaire québécoise. Ce modèle d’implantation novateur fait état du fait que des stratégies hybrides non improvisées et exigeantes furent pensées et proposées par les autorités québécoises. Ce modèle d’implantation élaboré permettait de penser que la politique curriculaire québécoise allait, possiblement, permettre d’obtenir des résultats tangibles et durables dans les milieux scolaires. L’analyse de la structure de mise en œuvre révèle, pour sa part, que les stratégies d’implantation qui se sont déployées sur le terrain rejoignaient presqu’intégralement les stratégies « hybrides » initialement prévues. Le processus d’implantation a cependant connu une évolution différente de celle attendue. La mise en œuvre concrète qui s’est vécue sur le terrain fut difficile et hasardeuse, malgré l’approche « hybride » adoptée. Les éléments qui expliquent les difficultés d’implantation vécues sont présentés et analysés dans cette étude.

La réforme de l'université au Maroc vue par les acteurs universitaires : une étude de cas de l'Université Maohammed V, Rabat-Salé

Cette étude est consacrée à l’université publique marocaine. Elle se situe dans le champ de l’enseignement supérieur public. Les chercheurs du secteur universitaire au Maroc qualifient la gestion de l’enseignement supérieur de centralisée, bureaucratisée, rigide et incapable de trouver des réponses efficaces à la société. L’université publique marocaine vit une crise : elle a fait l’objet de nombreux critiques sur la nature des services universitaires. Sur le plan académique, elle est inappropriée pour faire face à la demande sociale en matière de l’enseignement universitaire. Sur le plan interne, elle est inadaptée à cause de dysfonctionnement pédagogie, organisationnel et administratif. L’université publique n’a pas été apte à s’adapter au secteur privé en créant des débouchés viables pour ses diplômés. Devant la gravité de la situation de l’enseignement supérieur public marocain, une Commission Royale Spéciale a été créée, dont le mandat était de trouver une meilleure façon de rationaliser le système universitaire. C’est ainsi qu’en 1999, la Commission a établi une Charte nationale de l’éducation et de la formation. Les premiers éléments de la nouvelle réforme ont été mis en application dès la rentrée universitaire 2003-2004. Cette nouvelle réforme est perçue comme un moyen d’améliorer le fonctionnement des établissements universitaires publics. Son objectif principal est de réformer d’une manière globale le système universitaire public. Dans les recherches qui se sont intéressées à la réforme de l’université publique marocaine, nous avons constaté qu’il y a une absence de documentation en ce qui trait aux réactions des acteurs universitaires et professionnels face aux orientations de cette réforme. Dans le but d’apporter des éclaircissements, nous nous sommes fixé un double objectif : déterminer, à partir de la perception d’acteurs universitaires, les effets des orientations de la nouvelle réforme et de ses modalités; connaître les changements organisationnels et leurs exigences. La stratégie de recherche répondant le mieux à notre double objectif était la recherche exploratoire. La démarche que nous avons privilégiée fut celle d’une première étude avant l’implantation de la nouvelle réforme et d’une autre après trois semestres de son implantation. Les questions qui ont soutenu notre recherche sont les suivantes : les attitudes des acteurs universitaires ont-elles été modifiées par l’introduction de la nouvelle réforme? Si oui, dans quel sens ont-elles été modifiées? Est-ce que la nouvelle réforme a modifié les pratiques pédagogiques et financières dans le sens indiqué par la charte? Quelles formes de contribution des acteurs universitaires peuvent-ils apporter à une implantation efficace de la nouvelle réforme? Parmi les quatorze universités publiques que compte le Maroc, nous avons choisi l’Université Mohammed V de Rabat-Salé. Cet établissement est l'une des universités les plus anciennes au Maroc. Elle est caractérisée par un nombre significatif de départements qui ont un potentiel de recherche et une réputation nationale. Aucune université ne dispose d’autant de facultés et de différentes disciplines : lettres, sciences, économie, droit, médecine et pharmacie, médecine dentaire, ingénierie, technologie et autres. La démarche méthodologique retenue est axée sur des entrevues auprès des acteurs universitaires et professionnels de trois facultés : 1) faculté des Lettres et Sciences humaines, 2) faculté des Sciences juridiques, économiques et sociales, 3) faculté des Sciences. Celles-ci sont considérées comme des facultés pilotes par rapport à la nouvelle réforme. Nous avons entrepris deux séries d’entrevues : la première en 2001 avant l’implantation de la nouvelle réforme de l’université et la deuxième en 2005 après son implantation. Nous avons mené au total quarante-cinq (45) entrevues qui se sont déroulées en deux périodes : la première a eu lieu entre décembre 2000 et janvier 2001 et la deuxième entre décembre 2004 et janvier 2005. Lors de la première série d’entrevues, notre protocole était composé de questions spécifiques portant sur les initiatives inhérentes à la mise en application d’un système modulaire, sur les procédures pour restructurer la formation universitaire publique, sur le développement de projets spéciaux et de matériel didactique en rapport avec le nouveau système pédagogique et sur les propositions et les procédures pour la participation de l’université au marché du travail. Nous avons aussi posé des questions concernant les aspects financiers. Enfin, pour mieux comprendre le contexte, des questions portaient sur les évaluations et les recommandations de la nouvelle réforme de l’université publique. Au cours de la deuxième période d’entrevues, nous avons recueilli des données sur le soutien du département au pilotage des objectifs de la nouvelle réforme universitaire, le soutien des instances professionnelles à l’avancement de la réforme, la coopération des enseignants au plan de l’avancement des pratiques pédagogiques et les conditions nécessaires à une implantation efficace. Les réponses obtenues auprès des acteurs universitaires et professionnels ont été soumises à une analyse de contenu. Nous avons opté pour le modèle politique comme cadre conceptuel de notre recherche. Ce modèle nous a aidés à montrer l’importance des acteurs universitaires et professionnels dans les démarches pour l’application de la nouvelle réforme. Il nous a aidés également à comprendre comment les caractéristiques de la communauté universitaire peuvent faciliter ou bloquer la réussite de la réforme en cours. Cette recherche montre dans quelle mesure les objectifs de la nouvelle réforme fixés par la Commission Royale Spéciale sont en voie de réalisation. En ce sens, notre recherche pourrait être utile au plan national marocain : elle pourrait aider les responsables politiques et les administrateurs universitaires à prendre des décisions appropriées au processus d’implantation de la nouvelle réforme universitaire.

Práctica educativa y diversidad lingüística = Educational practice and linguistic diversity

Los movimientos migratorios han crecido espectacularmente durante los últimos años y la escuela en nuestro país se ha visto afectada por los cambios demográficos ocurridos durante la última década. Una gran parte del alumnado presente en las aulas de nuestro sistema educativo está escolarizado en programas de cambio de lengua del hogar a la escuela que no cumplen los requisitos de la inmersión lingüística. Dada la gran diversidad de lenguas existentes, el sistema educativo no se puede organizar según los parámetros de la educación bilingüe. Esto no significa que dicho alumnado esté condenado al fracaso escolar: desde la práctica educativa y la modificación de la organización escolar existen soluciones para que todo el alumnado progrese a lo largo de la enseñanza obligatoria. El artículo analiza las condiciones implicadas en una práctica educativa que facilite el aprendizaje de la lengua de la escuela. Asimismo, sugerimos algunos criterios para la evaluación de este alumnado

Parametric pension reform and the intensive margin of labor supply, evidence from Colombia

We analyze the effect of a parametric reform of the fully-funded pension regime in Colombia on the intensive margin of the labor supply. We take advantage of a threshold defined by law in order to identify the causal effect using a regression discontinuity design. We find that a pension system that increases retirement age and the minimum weeks during which workers must contribute to claim pension benefits causes an increase of around 2 hours on the number of weekly worked hours; this corresponds to 4% of the average number of weekly worked hours or around 14% of a standard deviation of weekly worked hours. The effect is robust to different specifications, polynomial orders and sample sizes.

O banco mundial e a política educacional no Estado da Bahia a partir de 1996, o programa Educar para vencer : fortalecimento da gestão educacional

RESUMO: A gestão do sistema educacional brasileiro foi significativamente descentralizada pela Constituição Federal de 1988 (CF/88) ao reconhecer a autonomia entre os três níveis federativos e ao introduzir o princípio da gestão democrática da Educação. Assim motivado, o sistema educacional baiano iniciou sua reforma em 1999, através do Programa Educar para Vencer, tendo como referencial oferecer maiores níveis de autonomia e capacidade local de gestão para as unidades escolares públicas no Estado da Bahia. Para fortalecer a gestão educacional, o Governo, através do Projeto Fortalecimento da Gestão e Autonomia Educacional (PFGAE), introduziu o planejamento estratégico para melhorar a qualidade de ensino como ferramenta de gestão das escolas públicas estaduais baianas, apoiado em um amplo programa de financiamento para a sua implementação. ABSTRACT: The administration of Brazil’s educational system was significantly decentralized by the Federal Constitution of 1988 (CF/88) when it recognized the autonomy between the three federative levels and introduced the education’s democratic management principle. Motivated by that, Bahia’s educational system started its reform in 1999, through the “Educar para Vencer” (Educate to Win) program, having as its aim to offer bigger levels of autonomy and administrative local capacity for public schools in the State of Bahia. To strengthen the educational administration, the government, via the Administration Strengthening and Educational Autonomy Project (PFGAE), introduced the strategic planning to improve the quality of education as a management tool of the state schools of Bahia, supported by a wide financing program for its implementation.

Ensuring quality during monitoring of the learning environment of government primary schools achieved through EUI-PDP for teachers and head teachers

A positive change in the learning environment in schools is visible through ongoing professional development of teachers and administrators. Monitoring the professional development program and providing support to teachers and administrators to transfer their learnings into the school environment ensures some measures of quality. Quality issues led to the launching of the Professional Development Program (PDP) for Primary School Teachers (PSTs) of Sindh by the United Educational Initiative (UEI), a consortium of five Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, working under the supervision of Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA). Implementation of the UEI-PDP in four districts of Sindh, is ensured by a team of professionals in each district. Recognising that capacity building of district education employees would improve the educational system in the country, 130 Master Trainers were selected, on merit, from the District Education Office for the training of 17,000 teachers and 3000 Head teachers/administrators over a period of two years. This paper developed the design of a Monitoring Process for a Professional Development Program for Primary School Teachers and Administrators. Data was collected through Pre/Post observations, Interviews, Questionnaires and Reports. Such tools make it possible for the monitoring teams to observe, to inquire further, and, along with the Managers, Master Trainers and School Support Team, seek to explain the progress of the program and take corrective action where indicated. Both formative evaluations as well as summative  evaluation techniques are utilized for evaluating the program. The monitoring process that assisted in formative evaluations is described. In order to assist in summative evaluation, data collected through the monitoring process was further developed to categorize the schools where teachers and head teachers are trained. It is hoped that the categorization of the schools may lead to further improvements in those schools which fall in the group for need improvement. It may also initiate further research as to reasons behind why some schools are in the good category and why others fall in the average category.

Music in state-supported schooling in South Australia to 1920

This thesis is a study of the establishment of the music curriculum in state-supported schools in South Australia from the beginnings of such schooling until 1920. There will be a discussion of issues to be explored and the method by which this investigation will proceed. A literature survey of relevant research will be included, after which there will be a sketch of the development of state-supported schooling in South Australia. Several broad themes have been chosen as the means of organising the historical material: the rationales offered for the inclusion of music in schooling, the methodologies, syllabi and materials of such music instruction, the provisions for teacher training in music, both preservice and as professional development for established teachers, and the place and function of music in schooling. Each of these themes will form the framework for a chronological narrative. Comparisons will be made with three neighbouring colonies/States concerning each of these themes and conclusions will be drawn. Finally, overall conclusions will be made concerning the initial contentions raised in this chapter in the light of the data presented. Although this study is principally concerned with the establishment of music in state-supported schooling, there will be a brief consideration of the colony of South Australia from its proclamation in 1836. The music pedagogical context that prevailed at that time will be discussed and this will, of necessity, include developments that occurred before 1836. The period under consideration will close in 1920, by which time the music curriculum for South Australia was established, and the second of the influential figures in music education was at his zenith. At this time there was a new school curriculum in place which remained essentially unchanged for several decades. As well as the broad themes identified, this thesis will investigate several contentions as it attempts to chronicle and interpret the establishment and development of music in state-supported schooling in South Australia up to 1920. The first contention of this thesis is that music in state-supported schooling, once established, did not change significantly from its inception throughout the period under consideration. In seeking a discussion of the existence and importance of the notion of an absence of change or stasis, the theory of punctuated equilibria, which identifies stasis as the norm in the evolutionary growth of species, will be employed as an insightful analogy. It should be recognised that stasis exists, should be expected and may well be the prevailing norm. The second contention of this thesis is that advocates were and continue to be crucial to the establishment and continued existence of music in state-supported schooling. For change to occur there must be pressure through such agencies as motivated individuals holding positions of authority, and thus able to influence the educational system and its provisions. The pedagogical method introduced into an educational system is often that espoused by the acknowledged advocate. During the period under consideration there were two significant advocates for music in state-supported schools. The third contention of this thesis is that music was used in South Australia, as in the other colonies/States, as an agent of social reform, through the selection of repertoire and the way in which music was employed in state-supported schooling. Music was considered inherently uplifting. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the music selected for school singing carried texts with messages deemed significant by those who controlled the education system. The repertoire was not that of the receiving class but came from a middle class tradition of fully notated art music in which correct performance and notational reading were emphasised. A sweet, pure vocal tone was desired, as strident, harsh, speaking tones were perceived as a symptom of incipient larrikinism which was not desired in schooling. Music was seen as a contributor to good order and discipline in schooling.

Ongoing colonial legacy : contemporary education beliefs and practices in Papua New Guinea

In the late 1980ˇ¦s, a realisation that the western education system bequeathed to Papua New Guinea at the time of Independence had functioned to devalue and marginalise many of the traditional beliefs, knowledge and skills students brought with them to education, led to a period of significant education reform. The Reform was premised on the report of a Ministerial Review Committee called A Philosophy of Education. This report made recommendations about how education in Papua New Guinea could respond to the issues and challenges this nation faced as it sought to chart a course to serve the needs of its citizens on its own terms. The issues associated with managing and implementing institutionalised educational change premised on importing western values and practices are a central theme of this thesis. The impact of importing foreign curriculum and associated curriculum officers and consultants to assist with curriculum change and development in the former Language and Literacy unit of the Curriculum Development Division, is considered in three related sections of this report: „P a critical review of the imported educational system and related practices and related issues since Independence „P narrative report of the experience of two colleagues in western education „P evidential research based on curriculum Reform in the Language and Literacy Unit. How Papua New Guinea has sought to come to terms with the issues and challenges that arose in response to a practice of importing western curriculum both at the time of Independence and currently through the Reform, are explored throughout the thesis. The findings issues reveal much about the capacity of individuals and institutions to respond to a post-colonial world particularly associated with an ongoing colonial legacy in the principle researcherˇ¦s work context. The thesis argues that the challenges Papua New Guinea curriculum officers face today, as they manage and implement changes associated with another imported curriculum are caught up in existing power relations. These power relations function to stifle creative thinking at a time when it is most needed. Further, these power relations are not well understood by the curriculum officers and remained hidden and unquestioned throughout the research project. The thesis also argues that in the researcherˇ¦s work context, techniques of surveillance were brought to bear and functioned to curtail critical thinking about how the reformed curriculum could be sensitive and respectful of those beliefs and traditions that had sustained life in Papua New Guinea for thousands of years. Consequently, many outmoded beliefs and practices associated with an uncritical and ongoing acceptance of the superiority of western imports have been retained, thereby effectively denying the collective voices of Paua New Guineans in the current curriculum Reform.

Oferta do ensino fundamental em São Paulo: um novo modelo

Este trabalho propõe-se a refletir sobre o conteúdo e as implicações, para a oferta da educação básica, de duas das principais medidas que sustentaram a reforma da educação paulista implantada pelo primeiro governo de Mario Covas (1995-1998). São elas: a reorganização das escolas da rede estadual e a política de municipalização do ensino fundamental mediante a adoção de convênios.