This book looks at the issue of youth unemployment and examines policy responses. Part I considers the youth unemployment problem. Chapter 1 is an overview, covering size of the problem and the close relationship between youth and adult unemployment. Chapter 2 examines youth unemployment characteristics and distribution of unemployment across…

Historically, the spread of universal formal mass education in the West is closely linked to emergence of nation-states. This is also true of the Third World. The salient feature of education today is that it reflects a model of society in which citizens, including children, are seen as a potential to be tapped for development of the nation, as…

Public examinations in developing countries play a critical role in the selection of students for participation in the educational system. The examinations tend to be highly academic, bearing little reference to the everyday lives of students, limited to paper-and-pencil tests, and geared toward discriminating among high achieving students.…

In 2000, approximately 877 million adults worldwide were illiterate and 113 million children did not attend school. More than two-thirds of those individuals lived in East and South Asia, and two-thirds were females. Functional illiteracy remains high in developed and developing nations alike. The reasons include weak training in how to teach…

This book contains 10 chapters that analyze and synthesize the progress of open and distance education (ODE) in the developing world. Most chapters include case studies of programs in a variety of countries. "Introduction: Golden Goose or Ugly Duckling" briefly delineates the history of the field. "Nonformal Education: The Light…

The document, written in French, presents an overview of educational programs in Senegal where ten to 17-year-old students are taught practical skills. The monograph is intended for UNESCO staff members and educational advisors as they collaborate with governments in developing nations to improve educational programs. The document is presented in…

Young people's need for sex education is evidenced by their typically early initiation of sexual activity, the often involuntary context within which they have sexual intercourse, high-risk sexual behaviours and the inadequate levels of knowledge of means of protecting their sexual health. The earliness of initiation of sexual intercourse has…

Between 1970 and 1976, with continued funding and personnel support from the Agency for International Development (AID), Paraguay instituted major rural educational reforms encompassing curriculum revision, teacher training and retraining, training of administrators and supervisors, new school construction, and provision of teaching materials and…

Open and distance learning (ODL) is increasingly being regarded as a viable policy option for developing countries with limited educational resources for buildings, books and trained teachers, seeking to increase accessibility for large numbers of learners in education and training opportunities. Advocates of ODL as an appropriate solution to…

The international advisory committee of the International Project on Technical and Vocational Education (UNEVOC) held its third session in Paris in October 1995. Advisory committee members and observers from the United Nations' specialized, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental organizations reviewed the major UNEVOC project activities undertaken…

This document consists of 12 papers that, together, summarize the key issues underpinning future research and policy development related to intergenerational programs (IPs). "Introduction" (Alan Hatton-Yeo) discusses the project out of which the papers developed. "A General Assessment of IP Initiatives in the Countries…

The Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) and its "Hamburg Declaration" and "Agenda for the Future" have already had demonstrable impacts in various areas of adult education policy and practice. The following are among the specific areas and activities developed as a result of CONFINTEA: (1) promotion of…

The key issues, alternatives, and implications for developing countries to consider when designing systems to define occupational standards, related training standards, and assessments were analyzed. The analysis focused on the following issues: the rationale for development of standards; clarification of definitions, terminology, and assumptions;…

Problems facing distance open learning in the developing Asian countries were examined, and possible solutions were proposed. The prominent features of distance and open learning in 10 developed nations were identified. Existing distance education (DE) systems in developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were reviewed and found to…

The impacts and cost-effectiveness of adult basic education (ABE) in Sub-Saharan Africa were examined in a review of the new generation of ABE programs in the region. African experts and other international resource persons examined documentation from recent adult literacy, numeracy, and other educational programs targeted toward individuals over…