 Earth is the third planet from the sun, shown above with its single moon. Click the image to see a bigger picture. (NASA)
Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet’s population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6 billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war). Source: CIA World Factbook (2007) Welcome to Education Revolt’s World section. Here you will find information about the state of education around the world, especially in the fifty U.S. states. Education may not be the most glamorous political issue, and finding information that’s both pertinent and interesting for more than two hundred nations, states and jurisdictions is going to be a challenge. However, education is a signature issue, one that’s very important yet very poorly understood. My expertise relates primarily to Seattle, a corporate plutocracy that has led the national charge to privatize education. I don’t live far from Bill Gates, who may have rubbed elbows with the late Judge Gary Little, Seattle’s most famous pedophile. The symbolism couldn’t be more appropriate. As I write this, education appears to be following the economy down the toilet. High-stakes tests and deranged governors who openly brag about “punishing” students are indicative of the mind set of our corporate overlords. Today’s generation of students is probably exposed to more propaganda than any other generation in U.S. history. College graduates are reportedly graduating deeper in debt and with less prospect of finding a decent job than their forbears. My knowledge of education in other nations is so far rudimentary. I am aware that some nations have chosen to emulate the United States, preferring to screw children than educate them. For example, it appears that Canada has been waging war against teachers, a sign of the de facto downsizing that accompanies the privatization of schools. But I also expect to discover encouraging stories from nations that are not under the corporate yoke. For example, I think I recall reading about an African nation that wisely rejected an offer of financial aid from Bill Gates or Microsoft (as if there’s any difference). It’s also comforting to know that there are U.S. citizens who care about their children enough to home school them. Some may be right-wing kooks, libertarian zealots or liberal eggheads. But I?ve met a few who appeared to be politically independent, with the independent thinking skills to match. So bear with me if this section evolves rather slowly. I’m not sure exactly where I’m headed or what I’ll find when I get there... The Invisible Republic Webring
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