Between education and catastrophe : the battle over public schooling in postwar Manitoba / George Buri.

Based on the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Manitoba, 2009, under title: Between education and catastrophe: public schooling and the project of post-war reconstruction in Manitoba 1944-1960.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Reconstruction, the new liberalism, and child psychology -- Child-centred education : the progressive curriculum in theory -- Education for democratic citizenship : the postwar curriculum in practice -- The traditionalist backlash -- The battle over reading and grammar -- The reinvention of the high school -- Rural schools and rural life -- The battle over teachers -- The Royal Commission on Education and the battle over the schools in Manitoba.

"After the Second World War, progressives and traditionalists waged a quieter battle over schools. In Between Education and Catastrophe, George Buri connects the educational debates of the 1950s to the broader Canadian postwar political conversation about the social welfare state and Keynesian versus laissez-faire models of liberalism."-- From publisher's website.

"Working skilfully with primary sources, contemporary publications, and a rich array of secondary sources, Buri examines debates over curricula, the purpose of high school, teacher training, rural schools, and standardized testing in Manitoba. The progressives who advocated for a "new liberalism"--Characterized by government intervention and the social welfare state--sought to create a system of public schooling that would both equip students to succeed and enlarge their political vision by encouraging compromise and democratic decision making. They promoted more practical subjects, child-centred classrooms, and the use of psychological expertise to promote "life adjustment." Meanwhile, self-styled traditionalists such as Hilda Neatby thought progressive education undermined the individual competition and achievement at the root of a laissez-faire economy, calling for a return to the basics, an elimination of "frill" subjects, and a more academic focus for the public education system"-- From publisher's website.

Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on December 08, 2016).

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