328 M. McGovern and M. M. Barry 370 delegates) participants were invited to fill out a research ques tionnaire. With a response rate of 59.5%, the parent sample cluded 109 women and 17 men, ranging in age from 20-59 years (mean= 4l years)with an equal representation of rural and urban dwellers. The mean number of children per adult was 2. 1(39% of whom were in the 4-to 7-year-old age group, and 61% were in the 8- to 12-year-old Measures The questionnaire for both the parents and teachers was adapted from existing measures(Crase Crase, 1982; McNeill, 1983; Cul linan, 1990; Jones et al., 1995; Kuterovac-Jagodic, 1996). The lestionnaire consisted of 37 statements concerning knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of death education and childhood grief with which the respondent could agree or disagree using a five point Likert-type scale. General information was also requested concerning respondents' demographic details and their personal experiences of loss and bereavement. The questionnaires for the parents and teachers were identical apart from the more specific classroom information requested from the teachers. An open-ended section for written comments was also included at the end of the questionnaire. Results Classroom experiences of children coping with the death or loss of someone close were quite high. Some 35% of teachers reported dealing with the death of a child's parent, 23% with the death of a pupil, and 86% with the death of someone close to the child over the previous five years. Other losses reported included: moving to a new house, changing schools and the most frequent one, loss from separation or divorce in the family(83%). Encouragingly, 64% of teachers reported that they had discussed the subject of death in the classroom, while 72% of parents reported that they had dealt with the effects of loss or bereavement on their children. The per- onal experience of bereavement was considered by both teachers Copyright@ 2000. All rights reservedCopyright © 2000. All rights reserved