Focusing on Hungarian minority youth in a rural Slovakian setting, this article analyses their higher education aspirations and choices amidst significant economic, political and educational reforms. Relying on mixed methods and a longitudinal design, the research follows a cohort of high school students from their last year of secondary school…

It can be argued that in Spain there is a relationship between the high rates of early school leaving (ESL) and inactive or unemployed young people, as is evidenced by the current situation in which over half the working population aged 25 or younger is unemployed, many having completed compulsory education only. ESL and its social and economic…

Romania is reforming its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system and introducing a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) to create a new and comprehensive national quality assurance system for qualifications. These reforms have their origins in the social and economic…

Several factors have contributed to the worsening of the employment situation of French postsecondary graduates: aging of the first generation of employed graduates, sometimes forced back on the market by unemployment; slackened growth; and reduction in teaching and civil service opportunities. (MSE)

Higher education financing in Europe is undergoing a period of confusion and change. Five issues are noted: student participation in financing their studies is lower than optimum; upward trends in tuition/fees will continue; student financial aid systems in most countries must be rethought; tuition/fees and student aid systems must be coordinated…

In British higher education, the period since 1979 has been characterized by severe external pressure, loss of political support, reduced budgets, and a demographically-driven enrollment decline. Underneath the public discussion of these issues are emerging new structures and ideas for change, accelerating a long-dormant reform process. (MSE)

Factors affecting the relationship between education and work in the Netherlands include: the welfare state, inconsistencies in labor demand and supply, the composition of the labor supply, and public and educational policy. The educational trend is toward two-stage education--one for general education and another for employment preparation. (MSE)

Discusses vocational education training in Slovenia since 1991, noting challenges posed by transformation of the economic/social system (privatization, development of market economy, labor force development, European integration) and reviews basic features of the Slovenian system. Cites general reform objectives adopted in 1996 and the need for…

Dramatic changes in Poland's economy since adoption of a free market and parliamentary democracy in 1989 are chronicled, and resulting changes in the occupation structure, vocational and higher education, earnings, and unemployment are examined. The experiences of other Western countries suggest that a strategy of flexibility and adaptation in…

The success of British higher education in broadening its academic, social, and cultural roles may have begun to undermine the considerable solidarity and autonomy of the academic profession, with its values and privileges under more sustained attack than anywhere in Europe. (MSE)

Current trends, major controversies, and challenges in educational economics in Eastern and Central Europe resulting from dramatic social and political change since 1989 are examined. Democratization of decision making, an immediate trend toward decentralized administration, transformation of relationships between general government and education,…

The role of language and culture in the education of Europeans for a culturally diverse, global society is discussed. It is argued that a great deal must be done before education will prepare Europeans to deal with contradicting political, economic, social, linguistic, and cultural forces, particularly in the context of the European Union, in…

Projected changes in the West German higher education system such as more competition, differentiation and efficiency, and especially the introduction of institutional autonomy are the most ambitious in recent history and will demand the cooperation of federal and local government, educational authorities, institutions, academic and research…

This article describes recent changes in Slovenia including its economic situation, employment possibilities, and trends in higher education. It discusses economic restructuring and its impact on the labor market, opportunities for graduates in the labor market, changes in employment opportunities, the effect of state intervention, and legislative…