The pre-university course established at the Universidad Politécnica Estatal del Carchi (UPEC) after the disappearance of the Sistema Nacional de Nivelación y Admisión (National Equalization and Admissions System, known by its Spanish acronym as the SNNA) posed new challenges for the organizational and academic structure of this university. To…

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are used to reduce poverty while incentivizing investments in children. Targeting CCTs to certain groups of children can improve efficiency, but positive effects on eligible children may be offset by reductions in investments for ineligible siblings. Using data from Nicaragua, we estimate program effects on…

At Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, the majority of students engage in paid employment alongside their studies; and, every student has the opportunity to engage with work-integrated learning as a key component of their academic course. This paper explores an innovative structured approach the university has initiated to align these two…

The concept of an extended school year was first defined in "A Nation at Risk," which recommended lengthening the school calendar to 200-220 days per year (compared to the current average of about 180 days). Little research is available to prove the benefits of an extended calendar, and many question if this practice is a cost-effective…

Intended for those responsible for supervised work experience in all levels in further and higher education, this book debates some issues surrounding placements and outlines a procedure for managing them. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the topic. Chapter 2 discusses the educational purpose of placements. Chapter 3 suggests that some difficulties…

The evolution of Germany's dual apprenticeship system and the challenges now facing it were reviewed. The following topics were considered: (1) the progression from craft guilds to vocational training; (2) the history of Germany's dual apprenticeship system from its organization in the 1970s; (4) apprenticeship in the dual system; (3) Germany's…