Adult education, learning and skills providers are familiar with the longstanding national challenge of poor adult basic skills, and many providers use their Adult Education Budget funding to offer English and math classes for adults. In recent years, there has been a focus on supporting unemployed adults to achieve the good literacy and numeracy…

The phenomenon in which students enter university under-prepared for the mathematical demands of their undergraduate courses, regularly referred to as the 'Maths Problem', has been widely reported in Ireland, UK, Australia, and the US. This issue has been of particular concern in Ireland recently, with beginning undergraduates' performance of…

The overall aim of the study was to gather evidence on effective policy reforms for broad competence development in school education, including better achievement of basic skills. The six key objectives are: Objective 1: To understand the key features of policy design and implementation of reforms for broad competence development and achievement…

Reports on school research identifying and setting priorities for essential skills needed by the end of primary school to enable students to function effectively in Australian society. (MD)

Monitoring Learning Achievement (MLA), a joint UNESCO-UNICEF international education assessment initiative, obtains information on the "effectiveness of basic education provision[s] in terms of actual learning achievement." The empirical evidence from the 1999 MLA project countries provides both a diagnosis and possible actions to be…

Thoughts on changes in Britain's attitude to prescribing curricular content suggest that the current curricular blueprint is faulty with a huge imbalance of information at the expense of skill development. The author identifies important third millenium skills in the areas of education for survival, understanding our place in the world,…

Discussion of the need to raise education and training levels in the United Kingdom focuses on qualifications based on a clear specification of outcomes. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are described as a model that can be expanded to meet educational objectives as well as occupational competence, and core skills are discussed. (nine…

The author discusses the evolution of curriculum thinking from a narrow and behaviorist stance through to the present, where it is argued that considerations need to be based on shared understandings among all participants in a learning exchange. (Author/CH)

Focusing on the definition of skill transfer, this article examines the relationship between research work on transfer and various curriculum initiatives designed to promote it. Competing theories of transfer are explored, examples from medical and scientific education are described, and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications core…

Outlines ways that the core skills recommended by the British Secretary of State can be integrated into the economics A/AS level syllabi. Identifies and discusses these skills in the context of curriculum development. Discusses the implications for the first national examination in 1996. (NL)

Contends that empowerment and student autonomy strongly correlate with self-confidence; that this increases with incremental successes; and that any success is the outcome of acquiring and applying appropriate skills. Argues that geography students will be better life-long learners if they are taught enabling skills early in their programs. (DSK)

Uganda's education system was damaged and retarded by the military regime of the 1970's. About 50 percent of the primary school age children go to school and of these only 20 percent manage to proceed to secondary school. The ultimate number that manage to gain admission to the single university is 0.8 percent of these. Curriculum provides for an…

Ontario's curriculum development centralization is examined in respect to (1) definition and implementation, (2) narrowed curricular possibilities, (3) constraining aspects of standardized evaluation, and (4) narrowed teacher professionalism. (MB)

These papers, delivered at the 1981 World Assembly of the International Council on Education for Teaching, reflect the theme of the conference: provision of basic education for all persons, focusing particularly on policies and situations in developing nations. The 14 presentations were from nine nations: (1) "Curriculum Materials for Basic…

Analyzes "Key Skills Qualification" component of broader curriculum reform effort in England. Provides historical overview of policy and discusses problems associated with its implementation, including strong student resistance. Discusses two approaches to addressing implementation problems, the "tweaking" approach and the…