The article compares the educational policy trajectories of four societies in the South-west Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, Ile de la Reunion and South Africa. The main purpose is to trace the political pathways and differing educational policy trajectories of former colonies of Britain and France. Five metaphors are invoked in this paper to…

The transformation of higher education systems under the pressure of new needs required by the "society of knowledge" in France and Italy has had a deep effect on the relationship between state and university, and therefore a direct impact on university governance. This article sums up the main results of a research carried out on…

In a world increasingly attentive to the educational needs of preschool children, the French "ecole maternelle" occupies a position of special eminence. This research compares preschool provision in England and France and simultaneously examines the degree that the "ecole maternelle" is open and informal in its ethos.…

An analysis of advisory councils in France's centralized system also proposes a framework for such councils in policy formation in other countries. The analysis looks at the main features of such groups, how they are placed within the system, and what may be learned from the French experience. (MSE)

Comparison of policies and practices in six countries focused on the concept of access to education as flexibility: systematic structural arrangements such as accreditation of prior learning, open and distance learning, and information/communications technologies. Successful international experiences have implications for Scotland and other…

Clarifies the goals of technology education from a political perspective. Presents founding program choices of the discipline and teaching method problems involved in constructing the discipline. Outlines reflections on the idea of curricular matrices and points out the necessity for some re-examinations of curriculum theory. (Author/KHR)

This volume contains papers submitted to the 10th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society, held in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, 12-15 June 2012. The overall goal of the 10th BCES conference is to facilitate discussion of different perspectives on international education providing a forum for scientific debate and constructive…

Educators and policymakers who share the goal of equal opportunity in schools often hold differing notions of what entails a just school in multicultural America. Some emphasize the importance of integration and uniform treatment for all, while others point to the benefits of honoring cultural diversity in ways that make minority students feel at…

After a brief review of alternative methods of providing financial aid to students, the most significant differences between ten OECD member countries in the type, methods, and objectives of student aid policy are summarized. The implications of the alternative types of aid are then discussed. The ten countries are Australia, Canada, France,…

A discussion of France's National Evaluation Committee for higher education describes its origin and the rationale for its creation, the place it fills within higher education in that country, details of its first year's activity, typical procedures for institutional evaluation, and its general evaluation criteria. (Author/MSE)

Begins by reviewing widely-perceived ills of France's lower secondary schools and noting the political nature of any decision to change. Outlines the official 1982 four-point program of reform designed to move toward genuine democratization of the schools. Notes obstacles to change, but provides guidelines for a number of practices deemed helpful…

As of the 1973 semester, 10 percent scheduled school time will be free'', i.e., unstructured in the sense that it need not be devoted to one particular discipline but may instead be used for interdisciplinary study or field trips. (DD)

Argues that France, like the United States, has a dual system of higher education and that class dominance of this system has been assured by governmental policy using the ideology of equality of opportunity to legitimate that dominance. (Author/AM)