This paper introduces the essential concepts underlying management information systems (MIS) from the managerial perspective, then outlines a form of MIS design and implementation that may be attainable in a Caribbean educational setting. The growing importance of information and the increasing need to amass thorough information for decision…

This working paper briefly reviews the history of the information activities of the International Bureau of Education (IBE) from its first consultative meeting in 1971 to the adoption in 1977 of Recommendation 71, which calls for the development of a worldwide information network in education based on the active participation of regional and…

This speech transcript addresses five questions about global trends in civic education for democracy: (1) What is happening in civic education throughout the world? (2) What are common strengths and weaknesses in civic education? (3) Does civic education work? (4) What policies should guide the development and implementation of civic education…

Using a case study approach, it is argued that evaluators play a critical role as change agents in foreign assistance projects directed at building Third World organizations. Evaluators affect stakeholder issues, commitment to project objectives, judgments of project accomplishments, consensus among project implementors, and perspective of…

Benin is breaking new ground through a profound reform of its primary school system. The innovation in the system is the revolutionary approach as regards educational practice. The main focus has shifted, in the objectives of the curriculum, from what to teach to whom to empower. This paper analyzes the Reforme de l'ecole de qualite fondamentale…

Developing countries are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that specialized information is essential to their economic and social development, and that it is an indispensable factor in the rational use of natural resources, the development of human resources, scientific and technological advancement, and progress in agriculture, industry,…

The Junior Secondary School (JSS) program introduced in 1976 appears to have been the answer to the popular call for educational reform in Ghana. Vocationalization actually starts at the JSS level. JSS students are not trained for any particular occupation but are exposed to prevocational experiences to enable them to discover their aptitudes and…

This paper reports on research conducted to determine if United States' community college model can be applied to higher education systems in developing countries. The author examined Vietnam's higher education system and conducted a case study of Can Tho University (CTU) in the Mekong Delta. First, common characteristics found among community…

The Bureau for Africa of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been examining in detail the question of how best to support and sustain sectorwide education reform in Africa. The USAID and Education Commission of the States jointly sponsored a seminar in October 1996 to examine the issue of "scaling up" and…

This paper deals with a case study of secondary curriculum diversification as a vocationalization strategy in Sierra Leone. It explores diversification issues from four crucial standpoints that are distinct but highly interrelated. First, diversification is dealt with as a policy that was adopted and actively pursued by Sierra Leone for over a…

This report contains one man's impressions of the state of adult literacy education in several countries of Africa and in India. The first country reported on is Ethiopia, where signs of a capitalist society were evident in that officially Marxist country, where literacy education was still a priority in the midst of a waning famine. Ethiopia had…

A project to promote role change for department heads in South African universities is discussed. Unique characteristics of universities in Southern Africa are also identified, including the fact that department heads have only limited decentralized authority over issues such as admission, personnel policy, and finances. Project goals were as…

The International Bureau of Education (IBE) and Unesco, together with their member states, are faced with the task of implementing a proposed network--the International Network for Educational Information (INED)--for the better use of information resources for educational development. This review of issues that need to be considered in the…

The National Literacy Campaign of Zimbabwe was launched in July, 1983. The objectives of the campaign were to enable adults (1) to understand information about themselves, their localities, and their country; and (2) to become effective leaders and productive members of their cooperatives, village committees, management committees, and other…

The Adult Basic Education Program at Umgeni Water, a water authority in South Africa, is a workplace literacy program that seeks to impart skills within the workplace that can be used in community development, benefiting both the business and community involved. From a pilot project in 1989, the adult education program at Umgeni Water has grown…