Seventeenth Century Reformation leaders played an important role in establishing universal education in Germany. Their work created new opportunities for the individual, raised social conditions of countless people, and laid the foundation for modern science and learning. (Author/KC)

Explores alternative arrangements for adult access to higher education in England and Wales, France, and Germany, and examines the impact of such arrangements on the relationship between the state and higher education. Draws on Weiler's theory of compensatory legitimation to explain why the noise about such policy innovations is louder than the…

Examines whether European educational reforms of the past three decades had the intended effect of reducing the impact of social class on educational achievement. Concludes that the modest decline in class inequality suggested by the odds ratio is offset by continuing social selection within the increasingly diverse structure of post-secondary…

States that the impact of the Plowden Report was insignificant in Germany and Austria; that despite a decade of lively educational debate and hopeful reform initiatives, primary schools are as teacher-centered and bureaucratically controlled as ever. (Author/JDH)

Problems of differentiation and uniformity of educational provisions are products of the era of emphasis on equality of educational opportunity. Three typical national solutions are dealt with in this paper: the American comprehensive model, the Western European elitist model, and the Eastern European model of a unitary school. (Author)

This paper examines the extent that material, social, and cultural resources and schools account for the relationship between socioeconomic background and student achievement among 15-year-olds in 30 countries. Generally, cultural factors play a more important role in most countries although in a small minority of countries, material resources…

European research and practice in gifted education vary by country, because of political, economical, and ideological influences. This paper examines activities in eastern and western European countries, emphasizing research activities in the Federal Republic of Germany, and outlines such controversial factors as equality of chances,…

Argues that the thesis of discrimination against girls in coeducation schools has been replaced by a belief that, during certain phases or in specific subjects, abandonment of coeducation would promote equal opportunities. Questions whether classic or recent surveys provide empirical evidence for this moderate skeptical attitude towards…

Holds that, in Canada, educational achievement inequalities are erroneously attributed to language disadvantage rather that to the power implications imposed on languages by social-psychological relationships. Examines several countries' experiences with bilingual education, and stresses that children should master their native language before…

Describes the integrated comprehensive school (ICS) in Germany, where, as of 1988, 90 percent of all students attended traditional schools. Traces the history of comprehensive schools in Germany and examines their philosophy and objectives. States comprehensive schooling cannot create equal social entitlements but can encourage all students to…

Distinguishes social capital from societal cohesion. Argues that education acts in different ways for each. Develops a distributional model showing the relationship between equality of educational outcomes and various measures of social cohesion. Discusses theories explaining country trends and variations in educational inequality and social…

Multicultural education in Germany has been profoundly affected by history and the consequences and burdens of war. As Germany has always understood itself to be a monocultural country, there was initially little room for unpopular multicultural approaches to school organization and curriculum. Depending on the political orientation of state…

A working party of representatives from the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, visited five capitals to hear accounts of noteworthy innovations or experiments at the tertiary (post secondary) level of education. Diversification as opposed to expansion is currently being tried in many countries because…

Noting that Germany ranks lowest among the OECD countries for educational equalities, this paper examines whether it is the tracking of children into different types of school environments at a particularly early stages of their intellectual development (at the transition from primary to secondary school) which contributes to such inequalities.…

A close relationship exists between German society, the political system, and public schools. Following reunification, the school systems in former East Germany have undergone dramatic changes to accommodate the philosophy of democracy. The state of Saxony's changes include parent and student participation in school governance, emphasis on…