EDUCATING THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE

In ''What is Business's Social Compact?'' (January-February 1994), Bernard Avishai examines the nature of business's social responsibility in a competitive environment that has superseded Adam Smith's division of labor. The nature of work has undergone, and continues to undergo, a fundamental transformation. And, according to Avishai, in this new economy, learning organizations must become teaching organizations as well. Does business have an obligation not only to train its current employees but also to educate the workforce of the future? In this issue's Perspectives section, nine experts consider Avishai's argument and examine the role of business in education. Some excerpts: ''The privatization of education in order to achieve quality and performance will have to meet some basic criteria that may not lend themselves to a high profit margin.'' Richard Riley ''If business were to assume responsibility for delivering education, it would lose its autonomy and weaken its position as an advocate for change.'' Diana Wyllie Rigden ''Another kind of division of labor suggests itself: between work and nonwork. We might have to educate the workforce of the future with this dichotomy in mind.'' Hans Decker ''Business can improve education if it stops throwing money at public schools and insists on their complete restructuring.'' Allyson Tucker