The impact of the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) on the role of agencies such as Citizens' Advice Bureaux--that is, voluntary-sector advice agencies with a strong welfare right ethos--is examined. The implications of NVQs on the everyday practice of advice giving in voluntary settings is explored. (Author)

Evaluating schools has become a contentious issue in many countries. There seems to be a broad and growing consensus that some form of evaluation can on the one hand play a significant role in school improvement efforts, and on the other is also required to provide a reasonable level of public accountability appropriate in democratic societies.…

The end of the "bog standard" and "one size fits all", as part of the British government's education policy, has been emphatically declared. In its place, diversity and difference in terms of specialisms and sponsors have been stressed. However, such diversity has always been a part of the English schooling system in the form…

This article debates three tensions within the contemporary teaching profession in Great Britain, in terms of education policy after the 1988 Education Reform Act. The first is between prospective and retrospective identities, as defined by Bernstein (1996/2000). The second is between teachers' expectations of professional status, and centralised…

The performance of national education systems is a growing concern in many Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. This book focuses on the assessment of school performance in seven countries: England, France, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The research questions include: Why are schools…

In 1996, the New York State Office of the Comptroller performed an audit of Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Supplemental Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) awards at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) for the 1993-94 through 1995-96 academic years. TAP, the largest student grant and scholarship program administered by the Higher Education…

This semiannual report to Congress summarizes the activities of the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the 6-month period ending September 30, 1997. The OIG gave Congressional testimony regarding the modernization of student-financial-assistance-information programs, the Loan Consolidation process, the Federal Direct…

The demand for quality child care services from low- and middle-income families continues to increase. Government regulation is one means to ensure a basic threshold of high-quality care; however, political support for effective, comprehensive regulation of child care is declining. For example, few states require licensing staff to possess a…

The District of Columbia Public Schools system has taken action to ensure that supply items will be obtained at the most competitive prices. Because lack of storage facilities prevented bulk purchase of emergency items at competitive rates, the Division of Buildings and Grounds has remodeled a building as a warehouse to store large quantities of…

With the exception of New York City, the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applies to each and every facility owned or operated by a school district or Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Section 155.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education applies to all school buildings except for those within…

Part of a manufacturing cluster series which addresses itself to career awareness, orientation, exploration, and preparation, this guide and its accompanying student manual were written as a direct followup of the instructor's guide and student manual titled "Exploring Manufacturing Occupations." Four major sections are included. The first section…

Issued by the National Air Pollution Control Administration (NAPCA), this directory covers program and course offerings through the Institute for Air Pollution Training (IAPT), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Officers of the Triangle Universities (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State) Consortium on Air Pollution are listed first,…

This periodical, from Goldsmiths Association for Early Childhood (GAEC), addresses a variety of issues related to early childhood education in Great Britain. Articles included in the Spring 1996 issue are: (1) "Traditional Story Telling in the Early Years" (Fiona Collins); (2) "International Focus--Early Childhood Education…

The purpose of this paper is to trace the growth of secondary and higher education in Papua New Guinea from its beginnings through the United Nations mission led by Sir Hugh Foot in 1962. The mission was most disappointed in the rate of educational progress in the territory of New Guinea which remained under United Nations mandate in the…

British standards for inspection of residential services will not protect children from abuse because they do not address underlying problems. New proposals may correct some problems, but inspections probably cannot meet child protection objectives. Future developments should address enforcement of standards, collaboration between agencies…