From Fatalism to Foresight - Educating for the Early 21st Century. A framework for considering young peoples' needs and responsibilities over the next 20 years. Australian Council for Educational Administration Monograph # 16, Melbourne: 50 pp (September 1994)

ISSN 0 813 5355

Monograph which attempts to bring together a considerable body of knowledge about the near-term future and to relate this to educational concerns. Part one looks at a number of attempts to survey various trends and attempts to answer several questions. What do these sources tell us? Can a reliable overview of global change be derived from them? Is there any value in the concept of a 'megatrend'? If not, what pointers may be derived for the near-term future? Some of the limitations of empirical work are noted and the role of critical and epistemological approaches is discussed.

Part two poses the question 'what can we know about the next 20 years'? It draws on the above and suggests a structural basis for an overview of the early 21st century at the global level. It then considers four aspects of the Australian context: economics, the environment, society and technology. Part three considers the needs and responsibilities of young people in the light of the foregoing analysis. It suggests a number of strategies for the young, but also recognises that these have inherent limitations. It therefore also outlines strategies for those working with the young. Finally some broad educational implications are noted and issues raised in the monograph are related to the question of educational leadership. Out of print, but widely available in educational libraries.

To be revised and reissued