Libraries are critical learning spaces and may play a significant role in intercultural education initiatives, particularly in Sweden where the national curriculum ascribes central functions to libraries for learning activities. Unfortunately, the ways in which teachers and librarians may collaborate to leverage mutual resources is not fully…

The Swedish school system comprises: (1) Pre-primary school (Forskola), typical age 1-5; (2) Preschool class in the compulsory school (Grundskola) typical age 6 (participation voluntary); (3) Compulsory school, typical age 7-16, grades 1-9, and (4) Upper secondary school, 17 programmes (4 mainly academic, 13 vocational), typical age 16-19, grades…

Far too few people are able to achieve literacy, with greatest inequalities found between industrialized and developing nations. Gaps are found within each country, including Sweden, where all have the same formal right to knowledge, but in practice, social class distinctions differentiate individuals. Sweden has a common goal of an increased and…

This newsletter describes a research design enabling descriptive, comparative, evaluative follow-up studies of individual development in social contexts related to schooling. In addition, it describes a research project focusing mainly on evaluative studies of the ability of the educational system to confer, on different individuals in various…

Swedish reform in higher education during 1950-1980 is presented in a time-line perspective. Different stages are discussed in relation to a technical, bureaucratic and social model of educational planning. An evaluation approach with a life-line methodology is presented as well as some results. (Author/LMO)

Describes the National Action Program for information and communication technologies in Swedish classrooms that was developed to help safeguard equivalent standards and quality between schools. Topics include the national curriculum; inservice teacher training; Internet connections; and email. (Author/LRW)

Reviewing international school attendance statistics, the author notes that, while the United States is the pioneer of mass schooling, it too has school attendance problems, particularly relating to the exclusion of handicapped and delinquent youth. He looks at the techniques other nations are using to deal with these problems. (SJL)

This paper presents a compendium developed as a result of a series of seminars held during 1988 to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the first Swedish colony in North America. The seminar of which this is a follow-up was specifically focused on people with disabilities. It consists of interviews with four prominent Swedish and American experts…

This report on current research at Sweden's University of Linkoping on the dynamics of technical progress, social change, and continuous educational reform focuses on the four major sub-studies that, with a number of more limited surveys, make up the project on Technology and Science in School and Society: Education, Training, Subsequent Training.…

Observations of the Swedish program for training headteachers were made during a three-week visit in 1980. About 600 school leaders a year have been trained in the compulsory program since 1976. The National Board of Education, the central administrative board under the Ministry of Education, is responsible for the school leader education program…

Two separate historical traditions have influenced Swedish literacy: the church and formal schooling. In answer to the challenge of the International Literacy Year 1990, Sweden has formed a national committee to address such issues as future literacy missions, support of international understanding, and stimulation of research. The National Board…

The history and structure of education in the Netherlands, the relationship of that structure to educational systems in selected other countries, and the current status of educational innovation in the Netherlands are the major topics of this paper. The author discusses briefly the development of national educational policy, the place of private…

Ten brief case studies illustrate the types of arrangements which have been made between commissions and evaluators, and describe some of the subsequent problems. Each of the cases is a major evaluative study of a large-scale educational development or school operation. For the collection as a whole, the purpose was to illustrate how the…

The extent to which vocational education and training (VET) policy is nurturing lifelong learning in Sweden was examined through a review of recent policy documents issued by various Swedish government agencies and data from comparative studies compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Adult…