What we can learn from the typical school day experiences of the world's children.

In this International Focus Issue of Childhood Education, we have drawn together a collection of articles from a diverse range of countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, England, Honduras, Hungary, Japan, Russia, and Switzerland. Each article presents and analyzes aspects of school day experiences for certain groups of children in that particular country and offers insights into some of the priorities and challenges faced by teachers and education policymakers. While differences and variations in each country's approach to education are obvious, some interesting similarities can be found. For example, cultural diversity is raised as an issue in many of the articles, confirming the need for enhancing understanding of, and respect for, diversity in all of those who are part of the world's education systems.

Tunde Szecsi examines the status of minority education in Hungary. Traditionally, Hungary has tried to isolate itself from invading neighbors; recently, however, many refugees and minority groups have been migrating to Hungary from troubled nations in central and southern Europe. This article outlines the key features of Hungarian education, examines the status of education and schools for national minority students, and highlights the educational situation and needs of Romani (Gypsy) children. This article raises the importance of ensuring equal education opportunities for all children.

Jillian Rodd, co-guest editor, briefly discusses how the National Curriculum in England affects teachers and students. While standards have risen, Rodd explains that many teachers are concerned that teaching is being limited to ensuring students' performance in a "narrow range of capabilities." These educators believe that the focus should instead be on teaching children how to think.

In Wendy Marti-Bucknall's article about early childhood education in a German-speaking region of Switzerland, readers can learn about a typical kindergarten day as experienced by 5-year-old Marianne. The main goal of the kindergarten is to prepare children for school; by regulation, the kindergartens do not teach reading, writing, or written numeracy. The oral language learning approach used incorporates both teacher- and child-initiated activities. Marti-Bucknall also describes efforts to address early intervention and to meet the challenges of second-language learners.

Olga Melnik and Olga Sidlovskaja offer us insight into the pattern of daily life for preschool children who attend a regular Russian kindergarten in Petrozavodsk, a city near Russia's western border with Finland. In Russia, we find that children from 1 to 7 years of age may attend preschool from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., and that they may even eat their three main meals there. In addition to a broad academic curriculum, the children receive instruction in breathing and health improvement exercises twice a day. The emphasis on exercise and other physical activities during a typical day suggests that Russian preschool education is concerned with balancing young children's physical and intellectual development. The authors also identify a characteristic of Russian education that is common to many countries--the determination of educators to work with parents to help nurture children who will be "healthy, creative, smart, and happy."

Some Western readers may be surprised by the description of a typical day in a Japanese 3rd-grade classroom, provided by Scott Johnston and Tadahito Kotabe. As the authors explain, Japanese education stresses the need to address both social and academic growth as interconnected. The 3rd-grade teacher's goal, as described here, is to develop students' thinking skills, their ability to express ideas, and their commitment to development of heart and body. The students often work in hans--groups of 6 or 7--that take on responsibilities as a group; nevertheless, individualism is not suppressed. Balance remains the key.

Australian authors Sue Dockett, Bob Perry, and their colleagues highlight a breadth of issues relevant to children's transition to school within the context of the Starting School Research Project. Through a series of case studies and interviews with children, parents, and early childhood educators, they have identified what matters as children start kindergarten (the first year of school) in the Australian state of New South Wales. The case studies illustrate the cultural diversity of schoolchildren as well as initiatives that respond to the particular education needs of such a geographically isolated population. The article highlights the importance of listening to young children's perspectives on and concerns about starting school, because this input can facilitate development of guidelines that can promote a positive transition to school.

Magdalena Herdoiza-Estevez explores the meaning of going to school in Guajiquiro, a deprived rural area in Honduras. She explains that going to school in Guajiquiro is a "big deal" that requires a tremendous effort from local communities, teachers, students, and families to overcome such obstacles as long travel on poor roads, limited instructional resources, and general discouragement. Throughout her article, Herdoiza-Estevez brings the typical school day alive with detailed descriptions of her personal experiences at the "Espiritu de Lempira" school. From these experiences, she spells out a range of investments that social agents, organizations, and public institutions need to make to improve and sustain education opportunities for Honduran children. She also draws our attention to the importance of shared ownership and community-based strategies.

One of the most unique offerings in this International Focus Issue is a pair of articles about early childhood education in Cuba. In 2001, Susan A. Miller, co-guest editor, visited Cuba with the People to People Ambassador Program. She describes her experiences at several schools, where she observed the enthusiasm about and dedication to education displayed by teachers, parents, and children alike. While in Cuba, Miller made contacts with the Cuban Federation of Women in Havana, who in turn contacted the Cuban Ministry of Education. An article about Cuban preschool education was prepared by the Cuban Ministry of Education; Carolyn Bell provided an English translation.

In his article, Jeffrey C. Brewster offers us insight into the purpose, structure, and challenges of international schools around the world, describing the typical experiences of children who attend the International School of Brussels in Belgium. His description of the school as a "mini United Nations" highlights the cultural diversity of pupils and teachers at this English-language school. The majority of children at the school have relocated from their home countries because of their parents' work; many of them have moved a number of times. Therefore, while teachers need to meet the learning and educational needs of children from a range of different backgrounds, they also must respond to both children's and parents' heightened socio-emotional needs. These teachers need to not only offer the standard, and often prescribed, national curricula of different countries, but also build a sense of community and provide support systems for children and parents. The challenges faced by pupils and teachers in international schools bring to our attention the issue of global citizenship as well as the benefits of helping children, parents, and teachers understand and value cultural diversity.

Isabel Killoran's article describes how the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic School Board (near Toronto, Canada) adopted an inclusive philosophy for providing special education. Killoran describes a model of true inclusion that has been achieved for the past 30 years and contrasts it with the more traditional special education model implemented by the Hamilton-Wentworth District Public Board. The success of the inclusive model is anchored in the emphasis on collaboration among the key stakeholders; she also illustrates two key collaborative strategies, "Making Action Plans" and "Circle of Friends." The case studies yield insight into the type of support that these strategies can offer students, and highlight the importance of philosophical underpinnings, partnerships between administrators and educators, and positive teacher attitudes.

Because of space constraints, we were unable to include several other excellent articles. Readers should watch future issues of Childhood Education for articles about typical school day experiences in Hong Kong (written by Ramsey D. Koo, Michael C. K. Kam, and Ben Cheong Choi); Singapore (written by Pamela Sharpe); and India (written by N. Jaya and G. Malar).

There is much that can be learned from the way societies around the world approach education. The articles in this International Focus Issue provide insight into topics that are unique to specific countries as well as issues that are common to all. Common goals include: addressing cultural and ethnic diversity; ensuring equal opportunities for all; working collaboratively and in partnership with all who are associated with, or have an interest in, education; and appreciating, valuing, and actively respecting diversity. These articles also illustrate how parents around the world care about and are interested in their children's education. International exchanges such as this have the potential for expanding our understanding of and respect for a range of educational approaches and practices, and for appreciating new possibilities in education.

Susan A. Miller and Jillian Rodd, Guest Editors

Susan A. Miller is Professor Emerita of Elementary Education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, USA. Jillian Rodd is a chartered psychologist and independent educational consultant to local educational authorities, early years development and child care partnerships, and other educational organizations, England.