Public higher education institutions in developing countries have faced a steady increase in student enrolment, driven by historical factors such as the expansion of access to education following the end of apartheid in South Africa and other policies aimed at addressing socio-economic inequalities. This increase, however, has led to challenges in…

This article shows how the Scottish Government's (SG) political management of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has reinforced the economic goals of lifelong learning (LLL) under the skills for work agenda. Youth unemployment has been prioritized as the main social problem to be addressed, and most of the limited public resources for LLL have been…

This paper investigates the underlying causes of financial mismanagement in public schools and focuses on the perceptions of various role players in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The various Departments of Basic Education in South Africa allocate funds to schools each year, and expect school principals and school governing bodies to manage…

The number and range of problems associated with academies and "free" schools is worrying and can be attributed to the lack of ability of central Government to oversee the increasingly fragmented education provision. In this article, the author looks at just a few of those problems which have been reported since she started to log them…

The privatisation of state education in a variety of ways has introduced a range of risks to school governance and management which have not previously existed in the public service. State-funded education is in danger of losing its standing on the moral high ground as a public good delivered almost exclusively by individuals committed to ethics…

Throughput and retention are important issues in higher education in South Africa mainly due to the stronger emphasis on accountability from funding agencies like the Department of Education. This study, which is set in a distance education institution, was aimed at understanding why students cancel courses early on in the academic year. A…

The purpose of this document is to examine the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)'s Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) and analyse the advantages and disadvantages of both the existing system of program delivery and a trio of alternative delivery mechanisms. It does not issue any recommendation with respect to a…

This article investigates budget monitoring and control in township schools in South Africa. The enactment of the Schools Act 1996 revolutionized school financial management in South Africa, making it part of the drive for democratic school governance. School governing bodies had to be established, whose responsibility it became to manage finances…

Discusses five issues affecting education in the United Kingdom--financial constraints, reduction in the number of students, accountability and participation, concern for standards, and changes in social patterns. (Author/IRT)

Interviews with primary headteachers in three local education authorities in the Midlands, England, disclosed heads' overall satisfaction with a new government-mandated appraisal process. Although appraisal reports are available by law to chairpersons of governing bodies, such feedback tended to be perfunctory in many cases. Headteacher appraisal…

Australian higher education has undergone radical change aimed transforming universities into commercial enterprises less dependent on public funding. Despite some significant successes, including dramatic increases in the numbers of domestic and international students, decreased Commonwealth subsidies, and more private sector finance, there are…

Conditions and management procedures used in Dutch universities are discussed. Attention is directed to: (1) the structure of higher education in the Netherlands -- especially the University of Utrecht, its administrative procedures, and decision-making process; (2) the nature of the problems the university faced and the ineffective way in which…

Describes how an outdoor leadership center changed in response to fiscal restraints by expanding its facilities, diversifying programs to reach both youth and adult clients, and becoming financially accountable. Program changes resulted from three studies that gathered input from program stakeholders and government representatives. (LP)

In Canada, provincial support of school systems has shifted from funding that addresses concerns of access to funding that addresses outcomes determined by the needs of influential societal groups. Despite this apparent priority shift, economic difficulties have resulted in funding mechanisms that are highly accountable in terms of spending but…

Problems of "steady state" institutions and techniques of management that have implications for Monash University, Australia are considered. The term "steady state" is used to indicate a lack of additional funds being injected into the system to promote growth and/or development. A trend toward public accountability in higher…