INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
What can we learn from other nations about providing quality public education? How do we compare? Following are some publications and organizations that address these issues. We will continue to add new content, so come back again soon.

PUBLICATIONS

Schools in the Slums
Article | James Tooley | Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs | August 2009
While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, James Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad's Old City and was shocked to find it overflowing with small, parent-funded schools. So began the adventure lyrically told in The Beautiful Tree and excerpted here-the story of Tooley's travels from the largest shanty town in Africa to the mountains of Gansu, China. It's the story of children, parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs in the poorest corners of the globe who, in response to failed public education, are not waiting for handouts. They are educating themselves-and succeeding under the most challenging conditions imaginable.

India’s Future in the Balance
WebMemo | Michelle Kaffenberger, Derek Scissors | Heritage Foundation | August 2009
A possibly critical event within India has gone largely unnoticed elsewhere: The Indian federal legislature has approved a bill mandating free public education for all citizens. Whether the bill is properly or improperly implemented could play a notable role in determining whether India becomes a global economic leader, and a global economic partner for the United States.

Why We're Behind: What Top Nations Teach Their Students But We Don't
Study | Common Core | June 2009
This study asked a simple question: what can we learn from the content standards of our international neighbors? ... A host of international assessments reveal that students in countries that emphasize a broad liberal-arts-style education over mastery of basic skills tend to learn those basic skills better than their skills-focused American counterparts.
Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute | Education Gadfly | Volume 9, Number 20 | June 4, 2009 | By Stafford Palmieri