<br >PREFACE<br > Controversy is the basis of change and， hopefully， improvement. Its lack<br > signifies the presence of complacency， the authoritarian limitation of view-<br > point expression， or the absence of realistic alternatives to the existing<br > circumstances. An articulate presentation of a point of view on a controver-<br > sial matter breathes new life into abiding human and social concerns.<br > Controversy prompts reexamination and， perhaps， renewal.<br > Education is controversial. Arguments over the most appropriate aims， the<br > most propitious means， and the most effective control have raged over the<br > centuries. Particularly in the United States， where the systematic effort to<br > provide education has been more democratically dispersed and more varied<br > than elsewhere， educational issues have been contentiously debated. Philos-<br > ophers， psychologists， sociologists， professional educators， lobbyists， govern-<br > ment officials， school boards， local pressure groups， taxpayers， parents， and<br > students have all voiced their views.<br > This book aims to present opposing or sharply varying viewpoints on<br > issues， both fundamental and of current concern， in the field of education.<br > Those that address fundamental issues， such as the purposes of education，<br > the control of schooling， the moral development of the young， and the<br > equalization of opportunity， are taken from the works of prominent and<br > seminal thinkers whose ideas are much discussed.<br > With the background provided by the examination of arguments on<br >fundamental issues， the student is better prepared to analyze specific issues<br >currently undergoing heated debate. These include "choice" plans for<br >schools， home schooling， preventing urban dropout， cultural literacy， multi-<br >cultural<br > educahon， discipline， tracking， mamstreaming， bilingual education，<br >and sex education.<br > I have made every effort to select views from a wide range of thinkers--<br >philosophers， psychologists， sociologists， professional educators， political<br >leaders， historians， researchers， and gadflies.<br > Each issue is accompanied by an introduction， which sets the stage for<br >debate， and each issue concludes with a postscript that summarizes the<br >debate， considers other views on the issue， and suggests additional readings.<br >By combining the material in this volume with the informational background<br >provided by a good introductory textbook， the student should be prepared to<br >address tile actual problems confronting the schools today.<br > My hope is that the students will find challenges in the material presented<br >here-provocations that will inspire them to~aetter understand the roots of<br >educational controversy， to attain a greater awareness of possible alternatives<br >in dealing with the various issues， and to stretch their personal powers of<br ><br >