While the fresh debate on education's autonomy continues in this special issue as in other forums and venues, new layers of complexity on this theme continue to emerge, just as further nuances are revealed in the course of discussion. Following this welcomed growth in the discussion, and in the spirit of characterizing autonomy--and therefore also…

Can an academic institution be truly free if it relies on government funding? Federal dollars mean federal mandates, and those mandates grow increasingly draconian. More and more, they stifle debate on open questions, demand denial of verifiable scientific truths, eliminate due process for students accused of misdeeds by other students, or insist…

This article traces and analyses some of the key features of 14-19 education and training in England over the 30 years since such a phase was first mooted. It does this through an introductory narrative outlining the key policies and initiatives and the development of six themes drawing on analysis of a body of research and policy. The themes are:…

It is the contention of this paper that schools are currently sandwiched between demands of the economy on one side and increasingly fundamentalist communities on the other; that schools need some degree of autonomy from each; that the greatest challenge of the century is how we can live together despite our differences; and that the only way of…

Describes the restructuring of the Centre for Continuing Education and the University of Auckland within the context of political ideology, developments in New Zealand universities, and the historical role of adult and continuing education. Concludes that strategic neglect enabled external forces to drive policy and practice toward neoliberal…

The case for diversity focuses on the need for and trend toward specialization. Most pharmacists are currently employed by corporations or health care institutions, not in independent practice. Sources of pressure in curriculum planning are examined. (MSE)

Describes the British government's Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, explaining how it has been managed in schools and local education authorities, outlining management mechanisms, comparing rationale and rhetoric with the reality of management, and interpreting empirical evidence to evaluate its effectiveness in managing curriculum…

The broad mandate of the University of the South Pacific, the only regional university of the Pacific Islands, is complicated by great distances and geographic diversity and fragmentation. Finance, academic development, administrative structure, staffing, aid dependency, autonomy, and regional cooperation are discussed. (MSE)

This case study illustrates how substantial differences between the values and operating procedures of a university (and its continuing education department) and a nuclear power utility destroyed a promising collaborative effort in which the university set out to train power plant technicians to respond to emergency situations. (SK)

Projected changes in the West German higher education system such as more competition, differentiation and efficiency, and especially the introduction of institutional autonomy are the most ambitious in recent history and will demand the cooperation of federal and local government, educational authorities, institutions, academic and research…

Educational policy should not be geared to short-term changes in economic development, but must take long-range perspectives. In Austria, although efforts have been made to improve curriculum development to meet social and economic change, greater communication between higher education and the trades and professions is needed. (MSE)

From their beginnings, community colleges have evolved and continually improved their mission to better serve community residents. Previously, two-year colleges were mainly private institutions, committed to occupational and professional preparation, general education, and academic transfer. After 1965, legislation provided federal funds to…