This historical exploration of the development of the academic workforce in the UK and France was triggered by the observation of significant similarities in contemporary debates on casualisation, and segmentation despite their distinctive HE systems. We develop a quantitative history of academic staff to understand why the differences in the two…

Education hubs are important new developments. They represent a new generation of cross-border education activities where critical mass, co-location and connection between international, regional and local universities, students, research institutes and private industry are key. Different scales (city, zone and country) and types (student, talent,…

This article examines the resurgence in popularity of character education in the USA and Canada. It links this renewed interest to insecurities about academic achievement, economic competitiveness, civic engagement, personal safety, moral decline, and the loss of a common culture. Conceptualising policy as rhetoric, the article shows how character…

Compares the relationship between level of vocational qualifications in the work force and manufacturing productivity in Great Britain, Germany, and other European countries. Discusses the need for British vocational certification procedures within the education system; such components have raised skill levels and reduced dropout rates in France…

Comparative analysis of Canadian and U.K. national survey data examined educational attainment by gender, age group, and occupational category; extent of apprenticeship certification; and enrollment patterns for continuing adult education. Canada's higher educational attainment, flexible school-work transition, and higher continuing-education…

In 1984, Soviet educational reforms increased the number of vocational secondary schools, introduced pupils to vocational education at an earlier age, and strengthened vertical integration between local enterprises and schools. Unintended consequences may be occupational rigidity, course offerings based on obsolete manpower needs, and…

A study compared the attainment of national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in Scotland and other U.K. regions. Data from the Labour Force Survey and case studies indicate that Scotland underperforms England in the attainment of NVQs, suggesting improved performance in the achievement of academic and traditional vocational qualifications in…

Compares public intervention schemes in Britain and Norway supporting participation of public educational institutions in the delivery of continuing labor force development and training. These schemes demonstrate that British policy is based on belief in free market principles, while Norwegian policy combines elements of consumer choice and legal…

The key to long-range economic development in the Arab Gulf region is an integrated, cooperative approach to technical education of indigenous manpower resources. This can best be accomplished through a visible and formal policy infrastructure designed to deliver vocational/technical education which is targeted to the specific needs of each state.…

In China, lifelong learning has a long history--as a way to prepare for traditional civil examinations, which opened opportunities for social mobility and, later, to train the adult workforce to meet national economic objectives. In Shanghai, adult education has recently become essential for adapting the workforce to rapid economic change, but…

Focuses on changes that occurred in the Dutch educational attainment process in a 25-year period, comparing a group of students born around 1940 with a group born around 1965. Discusses implications of educational reforms and changes in the Dutch systems of labor and welfare.

Examines the Chinese Marxist educational philosophy of combining education and productive labor, including various types of schools where the idea has been practiced. (MH)

Assesses developments in Chinese vocational education since 1976 and between 1949 and 1976; defines terminology; profiles secondary vocational education alternatives, including secondary specialized schools, workers' training schools, agricultural/vocational high schools, vocational (technical) schools, apprenticeship training, and continuation…

South African educational reforms in the 1980s are seen as the government's response to critics of apartheid and an attempt to win the hearts and minds of Blacks through apparent, but not necessarily real, restructuring of the racial division of labor and through limited technical training for Blacks. (MH)

Provides a detailed examination of the "Dual System" of vocational education--a system combining compulsory part-time education with on-the-job training. Spells out the system's strong points and main problems and discusses issues such as labor supply and demand, educational/vocational discrimination against girls and women, and problem…