Provides an overview and comparison of the historical trends in information policy-making and recent proposals for the information infrastructure in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, and Canada. The role of the private sector, including transnational corporations, is also considered. (MES)

Tackles Arnold Packer's assertion that U.S. workers' productivity has declined in recent years. The quality of education in developed nations is only loosely coupled to national economic health. Many educators and economists are increasingly skeptical of the notion that better schools mean a more prosperous nation. (MLH)

Reviews the range of responses taken in industrialized countries seeking to deal with substantial worker displacement. Practices discussed include preventive subsidies, buyouts, retraining, job-search assistance, job creation, local and regional development, and local enterprise development. (Author/JOW)

Language ability is a holistic competence that encompasses both cognitive and social skills. Second languages are key skills for mobility in the European Union, but given minimal attention. The position of language instruction and teacher training must be strengthened in vocational training. (SK)

Examines educational decentralization efforts in developed and developing countries. Explores which conditions produce best results and roles and relationships of the school/community and region/center. Summarizes typical reasons for school-based management's failure, highlighting schools' need to build capacity, maintain decentralization, and…

Examines high school students' selected work values in the United States, Norway, Finland, Canada, Australia, and France. Findings indicated that selected work values were more similar than dissimilar across countries and cultures, and that there is a higher degree of transnational agreement among girls than among their male peers. (JPS)

Discusses the development of national policies for the use of communication technology in education, in both developing nations and industrialized countries. Considers what technology is convenient for the learner; national constraints on technology choice; what makes curricular sense; costs; and what works for small states. (Contains 16…

Reports on survey about suicide among 15- to 24-year-olds (N=15,555) in 34 of the wealthiest nations. Finland led in total and firearm-related suicides. An association was found between divorce rates and youth suicide rates, firearm-related suicide, and suicide rates among young males. An association was found between firearm availability and…

Mass higher education has taken hold in the developed nations, and a widely held belief exists that higher education is a "right." With massification have emerged two notable trends: an entrepreneurial emphasis fuelled by the revenue-cost squeeze ensuing from reduced and realigned government funding; and a quest for differentiation…

This paper provides perspectives on the unique challenges and opportunities facing the national auditing and accreditation system in South African higher education. In doing so, the quality assurance contexts of developed countries, Africa and South Africa are considered and the issues of uncertainty and conformity are highlighted. This is…

Three important early childhood education policy developments have emerged in recent years in response to increased female labor force participation and growing recognition that a positive group experience enhances child development. These developments are: the specifying of numerical targets for achieving an expansion of ECE services; extending…

Bullying and sexual harassment at school have received recent attention in developed countries; however, they have been neglected in Latin America. Thus, the authors investigated these phenomena among 400 Brazilian high school students from two high schools (one private and one public). Analyses using t-tests showed that boys bullied and sexually…

Sustainable development is basically about learning. It is a process that develops awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the environment and critical thinking skills. It is about respecting, valuing, and preserving the achievements of past generations. The socialization patterns of past centuries taught people to live unsustainably, thereby…

This paper investigates the relationship between school-based sex education policies and sexual health-related statistics of young people in four developed countries: the Netherlands, France, Australia, and the United States of America. Drawing upon literature searches in relevant CD-ROM databases, Internet websites, government reports and…

This paper considers the common criteria by which school-based sex and relationship programmes are evaluated, and argues that the domination of public health outcomes serves to make invisible other aspects of courses that warrant attention. In particular, the role of pleasure in sexual development and relations is normally not acknowledged. While…