John Schwille

Primary Schooling in Burundi and Kenya: Preparation for Secondary Education or for Self-Employment?

Primary school expansion in African countries during the independence period has exacerbated a dilemma confronting educators and policy-makers since colonial times: should the purpose of primary schooling be to educate an elite for secondary schools, or should it be, instead, to prepare students for self-employment? Findings are reported from a series of studies of primary schooling conducted in Burundi and Kenya since 1985. Both countries employ selective examinations for admission to secondary schools that emphasize academic achievement in subjects taught in metropolitan languages, notwithstanding reforms that promote vernacular language instruction and prevocational studies. As long as some children go on to secondary school, primary schooling will not be reformed on the sensible premise that it is the terminal stage of schooling for most children. Nevertheless, the opposition between prevocational and academic education may be a false dichotomy; academic instruction can be organized in ways that facilitate self-employment, whereas prevocational training can be strengthened by linking its objectives and content more closely to subjects that are central to preparation of students for secondary education.

What Language Should Be Used for Teaching?: Language Policy and School Reform in Burundi.

Abstract This paper examines language of instruction policies in primary schools in Burundi where French is used for teaching in grades five and six and for administration of the concours national which selects students for admission to secondary schools. The present language policy, adopted in 1973, has been implemented in the context of dramatic increases in school enrolment achieved chiefly through the introduction of double shifts that have shortened the teaching schedule. Classroom observations, interviews with teachers and school directors and information obtained from testing grade six students in three primary schools as well as school leavers in the school catchment areas indicate that the use of French: (1) seriously distorts the programme of studies making it difficult for teachers to cover the syllabus, resulting in the neglect of agriculture and other practical subjects; (2) encourages teaching practices oriented to French vocabulary building rather than to enhancing understanding of academic...

Teacher Improvement Projects in Guinea: Lessons Learned from Taking a Program to National Scale.

This article was originally presented at the annual meetings of the Comparative and International Educational Society, San Antonio, TX, in March 2000. We very much appreciate the suggestions Chris Wheeler has made for revision. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions of the World Bank or the Ministry of PreUniversity Education in Guinea. Requests for reprints should be sent to John Schwille, College of Education, Michigan State University, 517 Erickson Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1034.

Validity as a Variable

In the judicial case of Debra P. v. Turlington, the courts addressed the concept of validity as it pertained to the Florida Functional Literacy examination. Because the test was to be used in certifying functional literacy required for high school graduation, much was at stsake. Out of the controversy surrounding the examination and its use, two new types of validity emerged; curricular validity and instructional validity. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the meaning of these two new types of validity, to show where they fit within the psychometrics tradition, and to touch on some of the practical considerations involved with determining the extent to which a test has curricular and/or instructional validity.

Variable role of the state in education: the thai experience

Abstract Third World countries, Thailand included, are criticized for overly centralized administrative systems. However, decisions regarding centralization/decentralization are not either/or propositions. This chapter draws on the extensive research conducted by the BRIDGES project in Thailand to argue that the State does and should play multiple and variable roles in education in Thailand. It also attempts to specify roles which could be most appropriately played by different administrative levels at the present time. This is a perspective which is intended to clarify the complexities of educational policymaking not only in Thailand, but in many other countries as well.