The case of training in Kenya is explored in terms of the differences between the policy measures that would be necessary to increase the system's efficiency in response to the labor market and those concerned with improving its effectiveness in meeting social needs. (Author/SJL)

If we consider the political, social, and economic factors on which the Spanish educational system rests, short-term prospects cannot be optimistic. Futurological studies are lacking. Projections for the 1980s must take account of four issues: the crisis in social values, energy problems, political change, and the regional autonomy question.…

Japanese education in the 1980s must strive to improve its quality. These challenges arise at the peak of the education system's quantitative expansion over the past two decades. Further effort must be directed toward diversification and internationalization, which should bring about a fundamental reorientation of Japanese schooling. (Author/SJL)

Examines recent attempts to restructure French secondary schooling in order to provide equal opportunity and more relevant curriculum. Discusses some impediments to these reforms, particularly the opposition of teachers and their unions. (SJL)

Reviews two reports, the Russell Report that investigated the provision on non-vocational adult education in England and Wales and the Alexander Report that considered the aims appropriate to voluntary leisure time courses for adults in Scotland. Considers how far they reflect the differences of the educational systems within which each operates.…

Examines the role of the state in South African university affairs during the apartheid era (1948-90). Suggests that interactions between the state and universities were more volatile than is generally portrayed in the literature and were especially so during the 1980s when the state struggled unsuccessfully to overcome popular challenges to White…

Examines the World Bank's 1995 policy statement, "Priorities and Strategies for Education: A World Bank Review." Reviews the bank's evolving policy of the past 35 years. Interprets the statement in light of recent structural adjustment strategies and end of the Cold War, which have sharpened bank attitudes about economic, social, and…

Two reviews of an ambitious comparative study of elementary classroom practices and realities in the United States (Michigan), England, France, Russia, and India. There is no single definition of best practice in education, for both means and ends are culturally specific. Recent English educational policy emphasizing a generic definition and…

Identifies administrative, ethical, and pedagogical issues raised by policies which encourage the commercialization of the academic research enterprise, with particular reference to Australian higher education. Provides examples of recent government initiatives which encourage cooperation between universities and industry. Discusses issues related…

Examines the political dynamics of planning and implementing educational reforms in Greece, with comparisons to France. Argues that, as in France, the state's concern for "compensatory legitimation" provides a better tool than those advanced by sociologists or historians for explaining Greece's many failed educational reforms. Compares…

Review of "Politics and Policy-Making in Israel's Education System" (Haim Gaziel); "Educational Advancement and Distributive Justice between Equality and Equity" (Reuven Kahane, editor); and "Exchanging Writing, Exchanging Cultures: Lessons in School Reform from the United States and Great Britain" (Sarah Warshauer…

Compares standards in primary school mathematics in England and Cyprus, drawing upon national curricula, textbook content, and international comparisons of attainment. Finds that "expected" and planned standards were higher in Cyprus than England but were not associated with higher student achievement. Explores four possible…

Describes Dutch policies to combat educational disadvantage arising from economic, social, and cultural factors by funding efforts at the local level. Compares Dutch efforts to success factors and obstacles encountered in similar initiatives in the United States, England and Wales, and Australia, where public education and local authority have…

In many countries around the world there is a current focus on the restructuring of education systems in a bid to increase the "quality" of the educational experience for pupils in order to raise their academic achievement. However, the definition of quality as expressed through policy may not always accord with the aims and aspirations…

This article proposes briefly to look at Thai education within the national context, to examine some of the problems in primary education and to see what is being done and what can further be done to improve the situation. (Author)