Paid educational leave, although a recurrent topic of discussion, is not the highest priority in the concerns of British trade unions. In Italy, however, the trade unions have been largely instrumental in bringing about the introduction of "second chance" education extending beyond retraining. (Author)

Examining and comparing the features of paid educational leave in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden, the authors conclude that it remains a marginal institution. But as a means of achieving social justice and industrial change, it deserves an adequate financing system and institutional base. (Author/SK)

Five separate national studies describe and analyze government involvement in various continuing education delivery systems in five European countries: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway. The German study traces the historical background of further education in the Federal Republic of Germany, the provisions of the 1974 North…