The provision, in most industrialized democracies, of public funding for schools that differ from the state system in religion or pedagogy has the effect of encouraging philosophical diversity and school-level decision making alongside a substantial degree of curriculum alignment and with various forms of government protection for the interests of…

Introduces this special issue on the provision of integrated, comprehensive educational services for preschool children, focusing on advances in this area in Denmark, Spain, and New Zealand, and the lack of such services on a national scale in the United Kingdom. (MDM)

This article discusses recent changes in educational policy in Denmark, especially those associated with the Responsive State concept and effects on schooling and teachers. Trends suggest an attack on teaching as a profession. Surveys indicate teachers are concerned about democratic educational values, students, their own qualifications, and…

Over the last 10 years, Danish schools have made a rapid transition from a selective system to a comprehensive system. By 1990, it is estimated, practically no schools in Denmark will differentiate between "basic" and "advanced" students. Although most Western European countries have attempted comprehensive schooling, few have…

Representatives from five West European countries and the U.S. present overviews of their respective countries' education systems and approach to vocational education. The introduction notes that both money spent on and student enrollments in vocational education are increasing in Europe as in the U.S. and that educational reform appears to take…

Contrasts family and child-care discourse and policies in United States and Denmark, with focus on discourse about the poor, about women and welfare, about single motherhood, and about the role of government in providing for children. Critically analyzes dissolution of U.S. social "safety net" and contrasts it with Danish discourse of…

Describes public day care in Scandinavian countries. Argues that a "second welfare state" has emerged to carry out some family functions. Discusses repercussions for children and families, as well as problems of equity, quality, and bureaucratization in the system. Suggests that the United States can benefit from Scandinavian experience.…

This series of articles presents a variety of studies related to employment opportunities for the disabled, stimulating economy and employment, and new job creation. These studies are related to both developed and developing countries and are also concerned with the international division of labor. (SSH)

Six essays exploring the uses of the humanities in public programs are presented. They relate to the traditional and current interests of the disciplines, and discuss matters that bear on the conduct of projects and the activities of participating humanists in state programs. They are the result of a study of the concepts and practices in the…

This article argues that the U.S. dissemination system in education is unresponsive to organizational improvement needs, and that development of this bias is exacerbated by political, organizational, and programmatic thrusts in federal agencies. It is suggested that systems in the Netherlands and Denmark could provide useful models for adapting…

This document contains the agenda and papers presented at the Agora IX meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece in June 2000 on alternative education and training processes. The papers are "Integration of Migrant Pupils in the Danish Education System" (Bang); "Support Services for Inclusive Education" (De Vroey); "Single Sex…

This paper explores the traditional European model of vocational training in light of a new focus on employability and lifelong learning that is becoming more common in Europe. It includes the following four sections: (1) an overview of some examples of vocational training systems in Europe and the proposal that they share enough to be considered…