THE DECLINE OF THE NATION-STATE AND THE EDUCATION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

Many forces are shifting the role of the nation-state and altering our fundamental understanding of how it should function. The author argue s that the transplanted European model of the nation-state has become dysfunctional, creating ''national minorities'', serving as an ideolog ical cloak for various forms of oppression and opposing forms of educa tion that would promote diversity of languages and cultures. The decli ne of territorial sovereignty under the forces of globalization, the m ove to supranational forms of organization and the emergence of sub-na tional areas of economic and social development (often city-regions) p rovide a new range of opportunities for development of minority school ing.