In this chapter Dr. Cochran uses an empirically based overarching conceptual framework linking historical patterns, current policy goals and intervening influences as a tool for understanding the policy and program outcomes manifested in the early education programs of representative Western countries (Australia, France, Italy, Sweden). Policy…

Whether to adopt national standards and tests has long been a subject of lively debate in the United States. With 47 states now participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and a commitment from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to allocate hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to the development of common tests, the country is…

This paper sketches major programs for adult education in Sweden, the Soviet Union, France, and England and considers several policy implications for adult education in the United States. The first section examines the reforms in Swedish public education designed to facilitate social equality, with special emphasis on the study circle. A…

The genesis of this article is based on the observation by the authors that the French training system has witnessed an evolution since the 1970s that corresponds to the one that was later recommended by the European authorities, i.e.: --the creation of a national qualifications framework that integrates general and vocational training and initial…

Examines quantitative changes in French higher education since the mid-1980s, focusing on vocational tracks. Looks at sources of this change in educational policy and the demographic and social influences on demand. Highlights the impact of this growth on equality of opportunity, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations, and on…

This report on some efforts being made in France to improve the education of the socially and culturally disadvantaged is presented for such value as it may have to American educational planners in their search for solution to this difficult problem. For the purposes of this study the term "socially and culturally handicapped or…

The conference "People and Technology: Investing in Training for Europe's Future" was the largest combined conference and exhibition ever launched by the European Community in the field of vocational training. The major themes discussed during the course of the conference were the future of training and work in light of technological…

The following papers are included in this volume: "Technological Change: The Future of Training and Work" (Lord Young of Graffham); "L'Education, la Formation et l'Evolution Technologique dans l'Industrie" (Mathias Hinterscheid); "Education, Training, and Technological Change in Industry" (Philippe Meyer);…

France is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leading force in Europe. A highly literate and well-educated society, France's education statistics for 2003 show 12.1 million French children in primary and secondary education and 2.2 million students in tertiary education. The concept of education as a market commodity--long since…

A 2-day regional seminar was held to raise awareness of the problem of youth unemployment in Southeastern Europe and assist countries in the region to develop their own framework of action and concrete projects. The following were among the topics discussed: ways policymakers can help young people find valid employment opportunities within…