This paper revisits the Macfarlane Report of 1980, the first draft of which recommended the dissolution of school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and other providers of post-compulsory education and training, and the establishment of a national system of tertiary colleges across England -- a programme of reform which would effectively have…

I study the effects of early between-school ability tracking on student achievement, exploiting institutional differences between German federal states. In all states, about 40% of students transition to separate academic-track schools after comprehensive primary school. Depending on the state, the remaining student body is either directly tracked…

The philosophical debate on educational justice currently focusses on the Anglo-American situation. This essay brings in an additional perspective. It provides a justice-oriented critique of the segregated education systems in German-speaking countries. First, arguments that are commonly put forward in favour of these systems are rejected. Second,…

Throughout the history of education different conceptions have been developed about the role and the function that education has in society as a whole. Such conceptions have been constructed around different discourses that show underlying social conflicts. The different educational practices acquire their legitimacy through such discourses, which…

Between 1998 and 2002 an estimated 250 mentoring programmes were started in Dutch secondary vocational education in order to decrease motivational problems and drop-out rates, especially among youngsters from ethnic minorities. Currently there are only two schools in secondary vocational education that include mentoring as part and parcel of their…

In the UK there has historically been a clear demarcation between the academic and vocational routes through education post-16. Generally vocational study is taken either on a part time basis or full time at Further Education (FE) colleges. Students who want to take academic qualifications such as A levels have the option to enrol in a school…

In 2004, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) developed a national Indigenous VET research strategy in partnership with the former Australian Indigenous Training Advisory Council. The research strategy provides a comprehensive program until 2006 to fill the major gaps in knowledge identified through a midterm review of…

American-style comprehensive high school (CHS) systems were started in Japan and Taiwan in 1994 and 1996, respectively. Most CHSs in Taiwan were transformed from senior vocational schools, whereas others were changed from senior high schools or newly founded. To assist these schools in successfully restructuring or designing new programs, a…

In European countries, postcompulsory general education programs leading to higher education have traditionally been separate from vocational training programs leading to employment. Recent reforms have led to cooperation and sometimes integration between general and vocational programs and their school-leaving certificates. (KS)

With developments such as the overcrowding of universities and the student revolt of the 1960s, traditional ideals of German higher education based on the ideas of W. Von Humboldt, were reassessed. Concepts which had once been inspirational in the Humboltian ideal had become perverted. In the post-war period a reform tradition was pioneered by…

One of the most important educational reforms related to secondary education in Taiwan is the planning of comprehensive high schools. The impetus for their establishment has come from several sources, including increased educational alternatives, integration of academic and vocational education resources to upgrade the quality of education, the…

To date, few studies have examined the relationship between health behavior risk factors and cigarette smoking in Hungary. From 1995 to 1999, the prevalence of current smoking increased from 35.9 to 46.0% among secondary students in Budapest, Hungary. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between smoking and other…

This book, written from the policymaker's perspective, examines key issues facing education ministries trying to find the optimal size of and curricular emphasis for their secondary-education systems. It sets out the principle choices to be made and the dilemmas encountered regarding the scale and thrust of the sector. The work first looks at key…