Mass higher education, a characteristic recently unique to the United States of America, is now almost universal in scope in developed countries. This article contrasts the relative ease with which American higher education accommodated the rapid expansion of its student base with the difficulties that the United Kingdom, more particularly…

Economic inequality is high and rising in a number of developed countries, including in the United Kingdom and the United States. There are growing concerns that this may have negative implications for equality of opportunity, and the extent to which social disadvantage is transmitted across generations. It is widely believed that providing…

The structures of support services for disabled students in the South African higher education system find themselves in a contradictory conjuncture of rights, benevolence and the social model of disability. To elucidate this argument, this paper (a) outlines the status of support provisions for disabled students in South Africa; (b) compares the…

Examines the use of distance education for inservice teacher education worldwide. Although the United Kingdom (UK) has many colleges and no vast distances, distance education makes a significant contribution to teacher education in a period of rapid educational change. The UK Open University offers high-quality, multimedia inservice courses. (SM)

Examines the increased recognition of widespread adult illiteracy in industrialized countries; the origins of such recognition in voluntary bodies and advocacy groups; and the extent to which true adult-literacy policies have been developed. Compares adult-literacy efforts in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States with regard to…

This report provides a summary of a forum held in Paris at the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in September 1989. The purpose of the forum was to examine recent changes in industrialized countries in systems of financial support for students in higher education, and in particular to review experiences with student loans as…

This guide is designed to help those involved with the United Kingdom's Workers' Educational Association (WEA) to recognize the learning needs of and to develop teaching methods for students with visual impairments (VIs). Introductory materials cover objectives and how to use the guide. Section 1, "What Do We Mean by VI?" compares…

Traditionally, the concern of education policy in the United Kingdom has been with public education systems, but a question that needs to be addressed is whether lifelong learning lends itself to the same kind of analysis. The following forces are putting traditional forms of social policy out of business: challenge to the autonomy of the state in…

The paper uses data from the United States and several other industrialized nations to evaluate the costs of post-secondary education. Discussed are: variations on the concept of higher educational costs; three cost issues (how much higher education, the unit costs of higher education, and sharing the costs); higher education costs and social…

This bibliography presents and analyzes selected books, articles, and sample learning materials on functional illiteracy in industrialized countries that are available in the library of the Unesco Institute for Education. Entries covering emerging areas of research, descriptions and analyses of country experiences and steps toward international…

To frame the larger research agenda requires an intimate blending of knowledge of the situations of foreign research universities and those of public research universities in the United States. The first step was to bring together for a two-day symposium a group of scholars and practitioners, some with deep and varied knowledge of United States…

This book analyses the debate on the structure of higher education in Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Australia during the past 3 decades. Structural patterns or models are systematized and the way in which different countries have solved their problems in organizing higher education are…

This report describes the development work of the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit since 1980 and indicates useful strategies and approaches. Chapter 1 focuses on new styles of adult literacy provision. These include drop-in centers, short courses, open learning systems, and media-assisted learning. Chapter 2 concerns provision of adult…

Intended for outreach workers, community development workers, tutors, managers, and coordinators, this guide focuses on how laptop computers are and could be used innovatively and resourcefully for basic skills, outreach, and widening participation generally. Chapter 1 introduces aims and management of the Laptop Initiative for Adult and Community…

Further education colleges have been recognized for significant contribution to delivery of the government's agendas of economic competitiveness and social well-being. These two priorities have been identified: widening participation and raising standards. The Learning and Skills Act 2000 has established the Learning and Skills Council to plan and…