This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

In curriculum policy, discourses of "policy partnerships" and "communities of practice" have become increasingly prevalent and were reflected in Western Australian curriculum policy processes from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s--a period of significant, highly contested change. This paper presents the findings of an empirical…

Forming more effective partnerships with national governments in the Asia-Pacific region has been an important policy focus for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) since 2006. AusAID is increasingly engaging in sector-wide approaches and working through partner government systems. This paper explores how new partnerships…

The ideologies underpinning public/private partnerships (PPPs) have been much contested in theory, but what does promulgating a social partnership mean in practice? This qualitative research study has been "critiquing" a construct of "ecologies of learning" or "capacities of capital" for social partnerships between…

Four articles explore the concept of national security and its impact on freedom of information, historically and currently, in the United States (Harold C. Relyea, Steven L. Katz), Australia (Richard Alston), and the United Kingdom (David Goldberg). (CLB)

This paper presents a model of the approaches open to government to ensure that early childhood services are affordable to families. We derived the model from a comparative literature review of affordability approaches taken by government, both in Australia and internationally. The model adds significantly to the literature by proposing a means to…

This paper reviews the principal sources and methods used by the Manpower Research and Information Branches of the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (DEIR) to forecast the over or undersupply of librarians in Australia. After differentiating between manpower policy, planning, and forecasting, the role of the commonwealth government…

This discussion of higher education policy formation in Australia focuses on the changing role of the state governments. The nature of state involvement in policymaking in 1959-87 is chronicled, and the diminished role of the states in very recent years is examined. The need for state participation is supported. (MSE)

Two sets of opinion exist regarding the control of schools. The first pertains to the freedom of parental choice in education and the right of individuals and associations to run private schools subject to minimal government controls. The second stresses the overriding need to promote greater equality of opportunity in the form of publicly…

Government policy on public support for private schools in Sweden, the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, France and Malta, and Canada is reviewed. In Sweden virtually all schools are government schools funded by local and national grants; only a handful of private schools exist and they receive no government funds. The United…

This article examines the interplay between universities and governments, within the context of recent changes in the Australian higher education system. The Australian government is urged to fund institutions adequately and encourage diversity. Australian universities are urged to defend their autonomy and distinctive educational missions. (DB)

The paper describes the Australian higher education system prior to 1987 and the changes brought about by the proposals in the white paper, "Higher Education: A Policy Statement," authored by John Dawkins, the Australian Minister of Employment, Education and Training, and issued in 1988. The emergence of "development" is then…

This report examines student financial assistance schemes in Australia in terms of their effectiveness and administration; particular reference is made to the findings of the Auditor-General's report on the administration of the Austudy program. The report discusses topics within the areas of program effectiveness, eligibility criteria, the…

This report reviews projects funded during 1989 within the Children with Severe Disabilities (CWSD) component of the Australian Government Special Education Program. The review examined four aspects: (1) identification of those currently receiving services through CWSD funds; (2) description of the type of programs being funded; (3) the role of…

Thirteen papers and a speech address the theme of who makes education policy in Australia. Kwong Lee Dow's address assesses national planning in uncertain times and urges flexibility. John Steinle outlines the operation of Australian policy-making and recommends developing think tanks. Edward Holdaway analyzes the complex relationship between…