Abstract
Last October the London Times Educational Supplement pub lished an excerpt from an obscure brochure by Dr. Michael Huberman entitled "Reflections on Democratization of Secon dary and Higher Education." The brochure had been issued by UNESCO as one of a series of "Trend Papers" on themes assigned to the International Education Year (1970) by UNESCO'S General Conference.
All this sounds innocuous enough. However, the Times edi tors noted that "all but a few copies of [the brochure ] have been destroyed on the orders of the [UNESCO] director general, M. Rene Maheu," suggesting that the Huberman paper was so strongly anti-establishment that it was suppressed.
We have investigated the alleged suppression and have found that the allegation is only partially accurate. Raymond Rodri guez, chief of the special UNESCO unit responsible for IEY, sent a copy of the full brochure (about 50 double-spaced typewritten pages) and invited publication in the BULLETIN. He took pains to say that the Trend Papers do not necessarily express official views of UNESCO.
A quick check shows that the version of Huberman's paper supplied by Mr. Rodriguez is somewhat blander (as well as much lengthier) than the excerpts published by the Times, suggesting that censorship has indeed occurred. (For example, where the Times version says, "The demand for open access to education is politically irresistible," the UNESCO version substitutes "strong" for "irresistible.")
In both the UNESCO and Times versions, however, it is clear that Huberman sides with the consumers of education. For ex ample, he favors giving them money or education vouchers to spend where they see fit. In the Times' words: "He challenges the academic world's perennial emphasis on quantity rather than quality, and the resulting 'squandering' by developed and de veloping countries alike on traditional types of education which suit only a minority of children and are 'Procrustean beds' for the remainder. He would like the beds-institutions and exami nations at all levels-to fit the consumer, not the reverse."
For scholars desiring a copy of the full Huberman paper, as released by UNESCO, the BULLETIN editors will fill orders at $2 per copy, or $1 each for 5 or more copies. Enclose check or money order; no billed orders will be accepted. Address NASSP, 1201 Sixteenth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.-The Editors.
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