In the early nineteenth century, governments began to develop specialized educational programs--kindergartens and infant or nursery schools--to give children a head start in life. These programs hinged on new visions of childhood that originated in England and Europe, but what happened when they were transported to the colonies? This book unwinds…

Educational development in a country should reliably predict the level of wealth and its distribution. Undeveloped societies tend to have highly inegalitarian distribution functions. The development process accelerates this tendency by rewarding wealthy segments of the population that are in a position to invest in the growing economy. Finally, in…

This booklet examines high-profile issues and major questions involved in international educational achievement studies. Some of these questions, which education activists and the public most often ask, are as follows: What benefits do international studies of achievement have for development of curricula in countries participating in this study?…

Data gathered by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) can be used to analyze the relative effects of educational systems in different countries. A simplified example of such analysis utilizes variations among countries, among age cohorts within countries, and between subject matter competencies within…

The global status of comparative education from the 1960s to the present is presented in three parts. Part 1 comprises a general review of the background to seven regional studies. The review provides a picture of the overall historical development; the modifications in the concept of comparative education that have occurred; the general…

A clinical case study was conducted mainly to document and evaluate achievements and problems in implementing universal primary education (UPE) in Tanzania. The focus of diagnostic aspects of the study was on (1) clarity of UPE objectives, (2) preparation for implementation of the UPE program, and (3) impact of the program on teaching and…

Reports a study in which 1,000 high school seniors at 8 Kenyan schools participated. Data were gathered regarding their social and geographical regions, and the results on the Kenya Certificate of Education (KCE) examination were used. Findings show there is no rule that school-based vocational training is inferior to academic secondary education.…

These 17 articles on different subjects of the broader theme "lifelong learning" represent the latest results of the discussions of the Vocational Education and Culture Research Network. An introduction (Klaus Harney et al.) provides summaries of the contents. The articles are "The Global and International Discourse of Lifelong…