In this chapter Dr. Cochran uses an empirically based overarching conceptual framework linking historical patterns, current policy goals and intervening influences as a tool for understanding the policy and program outcomes manifested in the early education programs of representative Western countries (Australia, France, Italy, Sweden). Policy…

Mr. Fontanet is the French minister of Education. (RL)

Whether to adopt national standards and tests has long been a subject of lively debate in the United States. With 47 states now participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and a commitment from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to allocate hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to the development of common tests, the country is…

The French government's decision in 1985 to have 80 percent of high-school students reach the "baccalaureat" level by century's end and to create a new secondary school degree (the "baccalaureat professionnel") are among the most broadly influential and successful education reforms since the beginning of the Fifth Republic.…

An explanation of the French educational system and of projects intended to reform it. The main objective of the reform is to encourage universities to develop diversified programs and thus reduce the number of dropouts. Eighty percent of university professors see little value in the reform. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

The process of implementation of higher education reforms at nine universities and colleges in France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom is identified and compared; and a framework for implementation analysis is presented. After a brief review of the background for the study, the conceptual…

This report on some efforts being made in France to improve the education of the socially and culturally disadvantaged is presented for such value as it may have to American educational planners in their search for solution to this difficult problem. For the purposes of this study the term "socially and culturally handicapped or…

Examines quantitative changes in French higher education since the mid-1980s, focusing on vocational tracks. Looks at sources of this change in educational policy and the demographic and social influences on demand. Highlights the impact of this growth on equality of opportunity, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations, and on…

Although language specialists do not always agree about the best age at which to introduce English language instruction, policy changes are increasingly mandating earlier introduction of English in foreign language (EFL) settings worldwide. In this volume, language educators and program implementers from various countries describe programs and…

This publication contains workshop papers which discuss the link between the labor market and vocational training. Part I provides an overview of the workshop--its objectives, issues, and conclusions. Part II consists of seven country papers. "Labour Market Information (LMI) and Vocational Training Decision-Making in Hungary" (Lazar)…

France is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leading force in Europe. A highly literate and well-educated society, France's education statistics for 2003 show 12.1 million French children in primary and secondary education and 2.2 million students in tertiary education. The concept of education as a market commodity--long since…