Cites the high dropout rates for native students in Saskatchewan urban centers and suggests that the inner-city native alternative school may be the best way to return students to some form of education leading to eventual employment. Lists 17 "do's" and "don'ts" for effective alternative schools. (JHZ)

Study showed that levels of repetition and dropping out in the primary schools of 121 countries in Africa, Asia and Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and the USSR from 1970 to 1980 remain very high. This educational wastage is costing a great deal of money. (RM)

This study examined first-year attrition at a large, urban university in the United Kingdom, demonstrating the application of multilevel modeling to the issue of student attrition. A sample of 2,679 full-time, first-year students studying the 20 most common subject areas was identified. Students were divided into four groups depending on their…

Examines changes from 1970-1980 in indicators of primary school quality in low- and middle-income developing nations. Focuses on expenditures per pupil, pupil/teacher ratio, percentage of pupils entering grade six, and schooling required for fully qualified teachers. Analyzes the influence of contextual factors related to national wealth, size of…

Kenyan primary education is plagued by problems of high attrition and gender and regional disparities in access and achievement. Poverty, institutionalized corruption, and declining public funding are primary factors. More funding is needed for teacher salaries, infrastructure development, and improved educational access. (Contains 23 references.)…

The aim of this report was to quantify the benefit, in terms of higher wages, of completing a vocational education and training (VET) qualification. Two factors influenced the direction of this research. First of all, VET is concerned primarily with improvements in skill levels (with a likely consequence of improved productivity and therefore…

This study compared the academic performance of community college students who transferred to the Faculty of Arts at York University in Ontario (Canada) to the performance of students with Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) backgrounds admitted to the same faculty between 1987 and 1992. The academic performance of 155 community college transfer…

A study was done of the destinations of secondary school dropouts in 1990 in the Northern Territory of Australia, focusing on aspects of the school-to-work transition. The study contacted students through mailed surveys and telephone interviews. Information on dropouts not contacted through these methods was gained from the Northern Territory…

The objectives of a research project were to: (1) give an account of the adult literacy movement in New Zealand between 1974 and 1988; (2) gather, analyze, and report on the number of students in adult literacy programs between 1974 and 1987; (3) examine the nature of adult literacy programs; (4) describe the development of funding arrangements of…

This bulletin is concerned with the efficiency and effectiveness of educational systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Adult Education between Two Models" (H. R. Lovisolo) investigates the concept of popular emancipatory education in Brazil and the transformation of MOBRAL (Brazilian Movement of Literacy) into the Fundacion EDUCAR.…

This comment is a response to a paper on noncompletion rates in United Kingdom universities (Johnes and Taylor 1989). The causal inferences are ill founded because they are based on data aggregated to university level. Individual-level data are essential, and data on other levels may also be necessary. (Author/MLW)

Reports on a study of 6,718 college students enrolled in an introductory economics course to determine factors associated with successful achievement. Finds high overall academic achievement in high school and a strong mathematics background, especially calculus, were the two most important factors. (CFR)

Despite expansion in participation, Austrian higher education remains somewhat elitist. However, concepts of efficiency, strategic planning, deregulation, and performance evaluation are creating pressure for policy change. Inadequate admissions policies, overcrowding, and high dropout rates need to be addressed. (Author/MSE)

This publication contains a brief description of secondary education in Spain. It constitutes one part of a series entitled "Guide to Secondary Education in Europe," developed as part of a Council of Europe project. Chapter 1 presents a general overview of the Spanish education system, with a focus on secondary education. Chapter 2…

This paper examines the impact on student learning of the Programa para Abatir el Rezago Educativo (PARE), which aimed to improve the quality and efficiency of primary education in four Mexican states by increasing school resources. PARE was implemented in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Chiapas, and Hidalgo, which have the highest incidence of…