Education and European integration

The main purpose of this article is to discuss the implications for education and training of the movement towards integration in Europe in the historic context of the creation of a single market within the European Community (EC) and the end of the Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe. The experience of the EC is used to illustrate trends and problems in the development of international cooperation in education and training. Common concerns and priorities throughout the new Europe are then identified and discussed. These include the pursuit of quality in schooling, efforts to serve the interests of disadvantaged learners, and the treatment of European Studies in the curriculum, including the improvement of the teaching of foreign languages.

---

Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel stellt die Auswirkungen auf Bildung und Weiterbildung von Bemühungen um die Schaffung eines Gesamteuropas im historischen Kontext eines gesamteuropäischen Marktes und des Endes der kommunistischen Regimes in Ost- und Mitteleuropa dar. Die Erfahrungen der europäischen Gemeinschaft dienen zur Illustration von Trends und Problemen in der Entwicklung internationaler Kooperation in Bildung und Ausbildung. Im weiteren werden gemeinsame Interessen und Prioritäten im neuen Europa identifiziert und diskutiert. Dazu gehöen die Verbesserung der Qualität im Schulwesen, Bemühungen, Belange benachteiligter Schüler zu erfüllen, sowie die Aufnahme europäischer Studien in das Curriculum unter Berücksichtigung einer Verbesserung des Fremdsprachenunterrichts.

---

Résumé L'intention de cet article est d'analyser les conséquences pour l'éducation et la formation du mouvement vers l'intégration européenne dans le contexte historique de la création du marché unique dans la Communauté européenne (CE) et de la chute des régimes communistes en Europe orientale. Les expériences de la CE permettent d'illustrer les tendances et les problèmes liés au développement de la coopération internationale en matière de l'éducation et de la formation. L'article identifie et examine ensuite les préoccupations et les priorités communes retrouvées partout dans la nouvelle Europe, parmi lesquelles la recherche de la qualité dans l'enseignement, les initiatives prises à l'intention des élèves défavorisés, la place réservée aux études européennes dans le curriculum, et notamment l'amélioration de l'enseignement des langues étrangères.

     

武当山近50年考古新发现(续)

近50年的考古调查发掘表明,武当山不仅是我国著名的风景和道教圣地,而且也是我国罕见的一个历史悠久、蕴藏丰富的"文博之乡".从史前的动植物化石、新石器时代的遗址,到有史以来的历代古迹、墓葬和遗存,几乎可以勾画出自生命的起源、人类的诞生以及进入文明时代的一个清晰线索和图景.     

A fluorescence based method for the quantification of surface functional groups in closed micro- and nanofluidic channels

Surface analysis is critical for the validation of microfluidic surface modifications for biology, chemistry, and physics applications. However, until now quantitative analytical methods have mostly been focused on open surfaces. Here, we present a new fluorescence imaging method to directly measure the surface coverage of functional groups inside assembled microchannels over a wide dynamic range. A key advance of our work is the elimination of self-quenching to obtain a linear signal even with a high density of functional groups. This method is applied to image the density and monitor the stability of vapor deposited silane layers in bonded silicon/glass micro- and nanochannels.     

“It’s All Shiny and There’s No Pollution”: Barbapapa’s Ark,Environmental Influences

The environmental picture book Barbapapa’s Ark was published in 1974. I was keeping a parent-observer record of my two children at the time. The book had a strong influence on them from ages three to six, moving them to query pollution and hunting, in book and environment, and as adults, becoming committed activists for the environment. Young children are routinely underestimated. Learning about the environment and conservation can begin well before formal education.     

Studying School Architecture: some reflections

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of an investigation in which 30 secondary schools rated the priority being given to and the likely impact on teaching and learning of a selection of 23 issues currently on the agenda for school improvement. Results are considered for the whole sample, and according to the role of respondents and school context. Schools are giving high priority to the implementation of national policies and school‐generated initiatives directed at improved classroom practice. However, the perceived impact of externally generated change is less than that of change for which school staff feel a sense of ownership. Policies directed at a consideration of resource issues, professional development and salary changes are accorded low priority and are not considered to have a marked impact on teaching and learning. There is a potential for frustration and loss of morale when policies that are thought to be of limited value within schools require time and sometimes extensive consideration. The article's conclusions for policy‐makers are directed at minimising this risk.