This booklet describes existing and planned government initiatives to address the long-standing issue of low achievement in basic literacy and numeracy skills in England. The booklet begins with a brief explanation of the economic and social importance of basic functional literacy and numeracy skills. Part 1 is a discussion of English government…

This packet contains 11 2-page fact sheets on various facets of vocational, technical, and adult education. The fact sheets cover the following topics: (1) performance measures and standards--what the law says; (2) career academy programs; (3) integration of academic and vocational education; (4) tech prep education; (5) the Carl D. Perkins…

A new world has arrived in which computer and communications technologies will transform the national and global economies into information-driven economies. This is triggering the Information Revolution, which will have political and societal impacts every bit as profound as those of the Industrial Revolution. The 21st century is viewed as one…

This report profiles conditions in the lives of children and women in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), and attempts to identify and analyze trends and issues which are emerging in ESA and which have particular significance for UNICEF activities. During the 1980s, ESA experienced unprecedented economic decline due to falling commodity prices and…

A 1991 conference provided a forum where workplace educators could analyze their experience. Participants agreed that establishing a partnership between business or labor organizations and education providers was a key step in developing an effective workplace literacy program. Participants also saw the importance of curriculum development to…

Establishment of a national-state system of world-class occupational skill standards is a first step in restructuring adult vocational-technical education and job training programs. Occupational skills standards provide the necessary foundation for addressing three major state policy issues: the state's proper role in private work-based training,…

This paper examines and critiques the Australian Federal Government's efforts to put pressure on universities to increase the links between business and universities and to adopt more business practices. Examination of the 1992 and 1993 World Competitiveness Reports reveal ratings which cast serious doubt about the effectiveness of Australian…

In this issue brief, a number of selected science and engineering concerns are discussed, along with initiatives that contain provisions to address these areas. These include the following: (1) precollege science and mathematics concerns such as teacher shortages, quality of science instruction, and the content of science courses; (2) mathematics…

This report is aimed at helping Congress better understand the functions, history, capabilities, limitations, uses, and misues of educational tests; learn more about the promises and pitfalls of new assessment methods and technologies; and identify and weigh policy options affecting educational policy. To prepare this report, the Office of…

This textbook is designed for use by Peace Corps volunteers learning Turkmen in preparation for serving in Turkmenistan. It takes a competency-based approach to language learning, focusing on specific tasks the learner will need to accomplish through language. Some competencies are related to work tasks and others to survival needs or social…

In this document, leading educators from 12 African Commonwealth countries trace the development of adult education in Africa and show how providers of adult education outside the formal education system (including government and nongovernment organizations, trade unions, women's groups, and religious organizations) have met the needs of their…

Great Britain's National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) generally accepts the vision and analysis in the British government green paper "The Learning Age." The NIACE accepts the paper's analysis of the challenges facing Great Britain if it is to become a learning society, and it welcomes the government's commitment to…

A national strategy for human resource development is urgently needed to meet the challenges posed by demographic changes, global competition, accelerating technological change, low levels of adult literacy, and outmoded educational practices and standards. While the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act could serve as the cornerstone of…

This paper proposes system supports to improve the post-school status of mildly disabled special education students and recommends that such supports be a focus of research supported by the federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. Each service is discussed in terms of its rationale, possible content, process measures,…

In one of a series of hearings held in communities around the nation on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met to hear testimony from higher education administrators and others from the state of North Carolina. The witnesses addressed a full range of issues concerning higher…