Message-ID: <MAC.970410134228@maine.maine.EDU> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 13:42:28 EDT From: "Dennis McConnell, Maine Business School" <mailto:mac@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> Subject: Inquiry: Educational Reform in CEE/NIS Regions To: mailto:INTDEV-L@URIACC.URI.EDU
***************************************************************** I have today received an inquiry about educational reform in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly-Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. Perhaps some list members can respond to that inquiry. I was initially contacted by Delia Meth- Cohn, editor of Business Central Europe, who was interested in contacting educational professionals familiar with current educa- tional reform developments in the CEE/NIS regions. I indicated that I would be pleased to forward the inquiry, if additional details were provided. Subsequently, Ana Nicholls, the writer assigned the project, responded with the attached letter. Perhaps some list members will be able to provide useful information to Ms. Nicholls. (If so, please provide your telephone, fax, and e- mail coordinates so she can contact you.)For list members who are not familiar with Business Central Europe, I have found its coverage of the CEE/NIS regions to be thorough, balanced and professional. Thus, my view is that any educational reform information provided to BCE by list members will be presented in a feature story of substance and importance. Please let me know if you have any questions about BCE. ***************************************************************** Inquiry: Educational Reform in CEE/NIS Regions ***************************************************************** Greetings from Business Central Europe. I am Ana Nicholls, one of the staff writers here. Our editor Delia Meth-Cohn sent you a message asking if anyone on your list would be a useful contact for our May cover story on "Education Reform in Central Europe and the NIS," which I'm writing. It's about general education, not management education. Here are more precise details.
The article focuses on how Central Europe and (separately) the NIS can maintain educational standards given the sharp drop in education spending. And how important this is to economic growth.
The bulk of the article would concentrate on school education in the Visegrad countries. It would look at:
a) how much the region is living off its inheritance of high educational standards. b) any statistics about how spending has fallen and the effects (e.g. teacher recruitment problems, maintenance of schools, availability of textbooks). c) current educational reforms in terms of school types, curricu- la, teacher training etc. d) involvement of industrialists in educational reforms, espe- cially where they stand on the debate about teaching utilitar- ian skills versus problem solving skills.
There would also be a separate piece on university education, and how to maintain teaching standards and relatively easy access for students (e.g. loans, etc)
And there would be a separate short piece on the NIS countries where education standards are in danger of falling to less- developed regions of the world. How can they avoid this, given severe economic problems?
I would like contacts either who know about education reform in the region, or who know about education reform debates in general and can offer comparisons e.g. with Asian tiger economies.
All the best.
Ana Nicholls mailto:100337.1153@compuserve.com (SUBJECT: "Message for Ana Nicholls") *****************************************************************