A study assessed the impact of the Shepherd School program, a nonformal basic education program in rural northern Ghana implemented by a nongovernmental organization. Data were gathered through observation; document analysis; and interviews with 42 children, parents, community members, chiefs, school staff, NGO members, and assemblymen in 2…

This book provides a detailed analysis of the development of education and training systems in Asia and the relationship with the process of economic growth. Focus is on four impoverished agrarian economies--Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan--that were transformed in little more than a generation into East Asian "tigers":…

A study examined the structure and organization of teaching practice in primary Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) in the People's Republic of the Congo. Data were collected from Ministry of National Education documents, interviews with primary school inspectors and principals, and questionnaires filled out by teacher educators, student teachers,…

To identify why developing countries have inadequate abilities to establish sound financial management in the public sector, a study of five Latin American countries in varying developmental stages was conducted. The review of U.S. assistance activities and all other programs designed to provide the countries visited with indigenous financial and…

This symposium on the learning organization is comprised of three papers. "Leading the Learning Organization" (James R. Johnson) examines actions that four leaders of widely diverse organizations took to transform an organization into a learning organization. (Leaders who were successful in implementing the learning organization concept…

One of the long-standing priorities of the international community is to reduce gender disparity in developing countries. Yet, the overall picture is still gloomy: women continue to be excluded from access to resources and employment and are denied basic human rights. This Policy Brief explains why progress has been so minimal and what should be…

Rural areas of the developing world are the last frontier of the information technology revolution. Telephone and internet penetration there remains a small fraction of what it is in the developed world. Limited means of electronic communication with the outside world are just one source of isolation of rural communities and economies from the…

The importance and potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to develop economies has been demonstrated through various studies around the globe. For the Pacific, especially Fiji, where development is hampered by dispersed populations, small sizes and vast ocean distances, ICT can help overcome these restrictive circumstances,…

In developing countries, the means of both providing school-age children with a basic education and extending secondary and technical education are adversely affected by the lack of educational facilities. In addition, vast numbers of adults need to be taught to read and write so that they can participate in the process of development. Experts on…

Shows how Tunisia's national educational program is implemented unevenly in different regions with resulting disadvantages for rural populations, especially rural girls and women. Specifies ways the politics and public policy appear to influence regional differences in educational outcomes. Examines educational, economic, and political…

Focuses on Moldavia, and its task of nation building--a task that depends, in part, on the effectiveness of the nation's educational system--following the demise of the Soviet Union. Provides a brief discussion of the growing importance of higher education, examines the evolution of higher education and management responses to the changing…

Successfully field tested in four villages in the Federal Capital Area, Pakistan, the model is designed to: identify and prioritize village concerns and educational needs; validate and analyze the needs with respect to village values and goals; and select, develop, implement, and evaluate a best solution. Major steps in the model are: data…

Opened in 1963, the Swaneng Hill School in Serowe, Botswana, was an experiment for its untrained founders whose objectives were to reduce the exclusiveness of secondary education, equip students with skills and knowledge needed for development, make the school a focal point for community development, and instill a sense of social justice in the…

This report describes a low-cost, adaptable methodology for assessment of basic learning competencies (BLCs) in diverse cultural contexts. Following the introduction, section 2 provides a policy framework and covers priority populations; policy and assessment needs; challenges for policy-driven assessments; and questions policymakers might have.…

Although scientific and technological developments are mathematics-based, many students continue to perform poorly in mathematics. This study investigated how students' mathematics self-concept (MSC) is related to their motivation to learn mathematics (SMOT) and gender differences in the two constructs. Out of 165,900 students in 256 secondary…