美国1958年《国防教育法》颁布的原因

Reasons for the Enactment of the National Defense Education Act in 1958

二战结束前美国颁布的《退伍军人权利法案》没有能够为战后国家经济、科技与军事发展提供强有力的智力支持。大约同一时期,作为进步主义教育的重要项目"生活调整运动"因其对学生个人兴趣、家庭、日常生活与人际关系的偏重,对学术标准的降低以及学术性课程的忽视而遭到学者的责难。1957年10月,苏联第一颗太空卫星"斯普特尼克1号"(SputnikⅠ)的发射成功标志着美国在与苏联进行军备竞赛中暂时处于下风。举国上下展开了对教育的诘难,《国防教育法》获得通过,联邦政府开始大规模卷入到教育调节与干预中,并成为教育改革的主角。

Before the Second World War,the G.I.Rights Bill could not provide the strong intellectual support on the A-merican economy,science,technology and military power.At about the same time,because “the life adjustment movement”as a progressive education main project stressed on students’individual interests,family,everyday life and interpersonal stress,and on the decline in academic standards as well as academic subjects ignored,it was criticized by some scholars.In October 1957,the successful launch of Soviet Union’s first space satellite“SputnikⅠ”marked the America’s temporary dis-advantage with the Soviet Union in the arms race.The whole nation was on the education question.The National Defense Edu-cation Act was passed,the federal government began to involve in education maintenance and intervene on a large-scale,also became the protagonist in the education reform.