Some 133 million young people (half of Africa's young) are illiterate; many have few or no skills. Such figures tell their own story: African youth need vocational training. This brief reports that technical and vocational systems in Africa are poorly funded and managed, and advocates for the integration of skill-development strategies into…

Reforms of African educational systems with World Bank assistance are likely to fail unless they are based on a fundamentally African vision of society. This vision involves creating a habitat for human resource development, the use of intermediate technology, and space for the informal sector. (SK)

Central issues of the International Labour Organisation meeting were financing workers' education in Africa, identification and development of special training programs, and the role of trade unions in labor education. (SK)

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…

Discusses trends in distance education in Africa, considers its contributions to national development, and suggests developments that are likely for the future. Case studies of Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe suggest that critical factors for the effectiveness of distance education include the provision of adequate resources and firm political…

This book contains 10 papers on critical issues facing colleges and universities seeking to "internationalize" the curriculum and design good programs and services for foreign students in the United States and for American students abroad. An overview by Richard D. Lyman introduces the following papers: (1) "Foreign Student Flows…

Discusses issues relating to library and information science education in Africa. Topics include a historical background; professional recognition; standards; student recruitment; physical facilities; relevance of the curricula; financial constraints; research degrees; continuing education; paraprofessional library staff training; employment…

A discussion of academic freedom and university autonomy in African universities established in the French colonial tradition focuses on their implications for college admission and enrollment management, curriculum design and development, faculty selection and promotion, and government funding and resource allocation. (MSE)

A discussion of the current crisis in African higher education looks at linkages between African and U.S. institutions and the urgent need for assistance in policy analysis and planning, management development and leadership training, funding, a search for new educational approaches, professional training, information technology, government…

This monograph contains 14 papers on the role of higher education in the developing world stimulated by discussion of that issue in "Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience" (World Bank, 1994). The first two papers offer background on the World Bank paper: "World Bank Traditions of Support to Higher Education and…

It is generally agreed that spending on education and health is key to poverty reduction, but simply allocating more resources to these sectors does not ensure that poverty actually declines. On the basis of four in-depth case studies (on Indonesia, Madagascar, Peru and Tanzania) and three Technical Papers on malnutrition and primary education in…

This collection of papers investigates change and compares university education experiences worldwide, looking at it from the perspective of numbers of students, range of institutions, funding, institutional functions, boundaries, and directions, orientation of students and staff, and institutional change. After an introduction by Tom Schuler,…

Much has been said and written about the importance of local and community organizations for the development of access to learning opportunities in impoverished countries. Calls for greater self-reliance and for educational services relevant to local conditions and community needs and that meet the needs of all constituents have increased since…