A strong feature of the widening participation agenda is improving the aspirations of groups that are underrepresented in higher education. This paper seeks to reposition the utility of this as a focal point of educational interventions by showcasing the success of a mentoring program that takes a different approach. The Australian Indigenous…

The expectations of first-year students are becoming more widely researched and understood. How to realign perceptions and prepare students for the transition from secondary school to tertiary education is less well considered. This paper presents an account of a pre-university preparation programme embedded in the senior years of secondary…

The introduction of an outcomes-based curriculum in South Africa together with a new syllabus for physical sciences for grades 10-12, prompted the development of an instrument to monitor conceptual understanding in chemistry at the secondary-tertiary interface. This instrument was used to evaluate placement within different programmes at tertiary…

Education plays a key role in young people's healthy development. Research conducted by the McCreary Centre Society (a British Columbia non-profit organization concerned with youth health) has shown that even the most vulnerable youth who feel connected to school are more likely to report better health and above average marks, and to engage in…

This article addresses the issues of how cultural historical theory of activity can help design democratic teacher education classrooms aimed at developmental learning and dialogical, humanitarian thinking of students and prospective teachers. On the basis of retrospective analysis, the author begins by summarizing activity-based approaches to…

Describes a developmental guidance curriculum on transition for grades six, seven, and eight. Provides the background, methodology, and some of the children's responses to the material, which consists of units on awareness, understanding, and challenge. Includes a list of children's stories on transitions. (JAC)

In recent years the World Bank, currently the largest single funding source for education and health programs in the world, has put new emphasis on reaching children in the years before they enter school. Despite the acknowledged benefits to be gained from investing in education, schooling in Latin America has failed to keep pace with the…

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency created by Congress, funds local private organizations that support the self-help efforts of the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. In fiscal year 1988, IAF approved 208 new grants, 173 grant supplements, and other program activities totaling nearly $25 million. The average grant…

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency created by Congress, funds local private organizations that support the self-help efforts of the poor in 25 Latin American and Caribbean countries. In fiscal year 1989, IAF approved 208 new grants, 175 grant supplements, and other program activities totaling over $25 million. The average…

In 1976 the Schools Commission (Australia) commenced a program of evaluation of its specific-purpose programs in order to obtain objective assessments of the impact of these programs and to determine ways in which they might be improved. One of the programs chosen for evaluation was the Development Program. This report discusses the design and…

This report provides information on the well-being of children in Afghanistan, details the work of the Save the Children organization in helping Afghan children and families, and discusses what is currently needed to meet the urgent health and safety needs of Afghan children. It is noted that 25 percent of children die before their fifth birthday,…

In response to recent social, economic, and pedagogical challenges to tertiary-level teaching and learning, universities are increasingly investigating and adopting e-learning as a way to engage and motivate students. This paper reports on the first year of a two-year (2009-2010) qualitative multiple case study research project in New Zealand.…

In 1990, the World Conference on Education for All renewed the world's commitment to ensuring the rights of all people to education and knowledge. This theme issue of the "Coordinator's Notebook" introduces the Education for All initiative and surveys what has been done (and needs to be done) to address the education needs of young…

The Farmers Training and Functional Literacy Programme, initiated by the government of India in 1968, was an effort to translate into practice the concept of linking education (not only vocational training) to development, particularly for increasing production. The project, a joint enterprise of three government ministries, provides participating…

This theme issue of the Bernard van Leer Foundation's "Newsletter" is devoted to approaches to working with disadvantaged children up to 3 years of age. An introduction describes the crucial period from before birth to 3 years, noting that although the mother's body provides the an essential part of the environment, other easily…