Reports on a study that questions whether private enterprise can maintain quality while reducing costs of providing social welfare services. Reviews three aspects of privatization: (1) competitive markets; (2) rationality; and (3) cost reduction. Concludes by questioning a central claim of economic theory: that free markets and private firms are…

School boards considering contracting with a for-profit company should study the policy pitfalls that privatization might bring in the areas of personnel, finance, technology, program evaluation, negotiated contract waivers, program expansion, and student achievement. (MLF)

This article focuses on economic analysis of privatisation policies and postprivatisation control devices in India's higher education. As a case study, the experiences of Karnataka State in collegiate education under general higher education are emphasised. A change in public financing, rather than a shift of public ownership and management to…

A study used data from the 1998 Current Population Survey to document job growth in the public and private sectors and examine the quality of jobs in terms of wages and benefits. Findings indicated public sector employment declined for both women and men during the period from 1979-98 with a somewhat sharper decline among men. In 1998, median…

The handbook is intended to serve as a basic guide to California practices in the use of contracted nonpublic school (NPS) or agency (NPA) services to provide a free appropriate public education to eligible handicapped children. The handbook covers: an overview of requirements for nonpublic, nonsectarian special education school and agency…

A seminar was held in Alexandria (Egypt) to bring together African university presidents, vice-chancellors, rectors, and top-level administrators to discuss the following themes: privatization, entrepreneurship, policies of international financial institutions with regard to African universities, and regionalization and the establishment of…

This paper reviews the development of the public monopoly of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Ontario, Canada. It examines arguments for private universities which suggest improved accessibility, diversity, and quality and finds the arguments to be insufficiently strong. A recommendation is made for improvement of Ontario's…

Describes a Russian exhibit of scientific and technological applications for education. Discusses how the nation's transition to a market economy is dramatically changing technical and professional education. Concludes that the most important result of the conference was that people began to rethink their activities. (CFR)

Attributes the growth of private education to excess and differentiated demand for higher education. Argues that evidence shows that the higher quality of private education is exaggerated and that private school attendance does not result in higher salaries for graduates. Criticizes private education as not wholly self-financing, elitist, and…

Proposes an alternative analytical framework for studying cultural pluralism and multicultural education in Latin America. Outlines a model of socio-institutional pluralism in education based on two axes of the human condition: (1) the axis of communicative action; and (2) the axis of symbolic control. (CFR)

The Clark County Nevada Board of Trustees voted unanimously in April, 2001 to approve a 5-year, more than $35 million contract with Edison Schools to run seven of the district's lowest-achieving schools. Describes the decision process and reports what the board and the superintendent learned. One of their biggest lessons was the importance of…

This report discusses problems reported by lenders participating in the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). The study examined the nature and the source of the problems experienced by the lenders, how they affected lenders, and what steps the Department of Education and Electronic Data Systems…

Many school boards have considered searching for their next superintendent in the ranks of the business community. Both Minneapolis (Minnesota) and Milwaukee (Wisconsin) have businesspeople as superintendents. Contains a number of comments concerning advantages a businessperson can bring to the superintendency, as opposed to the need for proper…

The last 2 decades of the 20th century have witnessed a growing movement to reform the American education system. While people debate why and how reform should be accomplished new initiatives are being developed and applied in many different areas: student performance standards, curricular innovation, assessment, accountability, professional…

Discusses how Russian vocational-technical education should be funded and proposes four possible scenarios. Recommends a privatization procedure in which an individual or a group of employees of a vocational school would purchase the institution from the government. (CFR)