The Erosion of Democracy in Education: From Critique to Possibilities

The topic of democracy and education has again become a prominent one in educational literature and discourse. Educators, academics, policy analysts, and critics from different ideological stances are debating this topic. While none have argued against the importance of the relationship between democracy and education, different and conflicting views and recommendations have emerged. Given the nature of the concepts in question, this should not be surprising. However, from the perspectives presented in this collection, recent educational reforms in several regions of Canada are troubling because they have undermined some basic democratic principles, beliefs, and practices. These reforms in Canada are an echo of similar or identical reforms promoted in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While such countries continue to present themselves as bastions of democracy, some recent educational reforms have been questioned because they contradict some basic democratic qualities.

This collection of twelve papers on democracy and schooling by Canadian scholars argues against such issues as curriculum and testing standardization, outcomes-based education and the marketization of education and in favor of focusing more strongly on issues such as equity, diversity, and social justice in schools.

Table of Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgements
Now´s the Time: Foreword by Roger Simon
Introduction

1. Democracy, Democratic Citizenship, and Education (Ken Osborne)
2. Beyond Common Educational Standards: Towards a Curriculum of Life (John H. Portelli and Ann B. Vibert)
3. Texts, Tyranny, and Transformation: Educational Restructuring in Ontario (Alison Griffith)
4. Limited Vision: The Ontario Curriculum and Outcomes-Based Learning (Carol Anne Wien and Curt Dudley-Marling)
5. A Wolf in Sheep´s Clothing: A Critique of the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation Program (David Mackinnon)
6. “No-one has ever grown taller as a result of being measured” Revisited: More Educational Measurement Lessons for Canadians (Sharon Murphy)
7. Education, Business, and the ´Knowledge Economy´ (Alison Taylor)
8. School Reforms in Ontario: The ´Marketization of Education´ and the Resulting Silence on Equity. (George J. Sefa Dei and Leeno Karumanchery)
9. The Struggle for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice in Teacher Education (R. Patrick Solomon and Andrew M.A. Allen)
10. Pendulum Swings and Archaelogical Layers: Educational Policy and the Case of ESL (Nina Bascia)
11. Educational Programming for Children Living in Poverty: Possibilities and Challenges (Bill Maynes)
12. An Argument for the Progressive Possibilities for Public Education: School Reforms in Manitoba (Dick Henley and Jon Young)