Countries everywhere are turning to education in the quest for competitive edge in the global economy. How to attain the high skills needed in new reformed workplaces is a preoccupation that can be observed across developed countries. In this widening discourse of high skills and competitiveness, the U.S. skills production model is being seen as…

The advent of inclusive education has quietly changed the ecology of Hong Kong's educational system. Inclusive education is a product of education in the developed Western nations and has spread at the instigation of international organizations. It is a plan for educational development that is based on the concepts of human rights and peace and…

In developed countries, obesity tends to be associated with worse labor market outcomes. One possible reason is that obesity leads to less human capital formation early in life. This paper investigates the association between obesity and the developmental functioning of children at younger ages (2-4 years) than ever previously examined. Data from…

The purpose of the forum was to establish an agenda for action, supporting steps that individuals, institutions, organizations, and governments can take together in working to reform and revitalize science and technology education at all levels. This report contains the comments of some 50 speakers and attempts to capture the essence of the wide…

A study examined occupational and skill change within the retail sector in Europe so that training and development schemes can be put in place. Data were collected in the following ways: compilation of information on the level of employment, skills, and training in the retail sector of European countries; compilation of national data on…

This book studies work in the United States and Germany from two new viewpoints: (1) the division of work time into hours per day and days per week (as opposed to the standard analysis of weekly hours of work); and (2) the patterns of the particular times of the day and week when people are working, a focus on instantaneous time use. Information…

This paper discusses the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in 1989 and, over the next approximately 3 years, was ratified by 117 member countries. After a brief historical overview of children's rights, the paper presents a summary and analysis of the Convention's preamble, which states the preconditions of…

As the nations of the world pursue development, the role of culture is important to consider in development activities. This report examines the link between culture and development and suggests that a people's cultural traditions and practices can be utilized in successful development activities. The investigation functions on the premise that…

This manual is designed as a resource for involving learners in literacy programs. Although the report is written at a high reading level, highlights for each section that are written in clear language are found at the beginning of the manual. Section 1 introduces the topic of learner involvement; it also describes the benefits of learner…

"Proxy" measures have been developed and applied that extend the usefulness of direct assessments of adult basic skills. Three categories of users of data on adult literacy are as follows: (1) government authorities who need objective data to inform the decision-making process; (2) program delivery institutions who require an assessment…

This report reviews the information policies that are concerned with, or relevant to, the scientific and technical information of 17 industrialized countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (Federal Republic), Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United…

This poster kit presents statistics on the gross national product (GNP) per capita from 120 countries with populations of more than one million. Third in a series of kits designed to promote understanding of the process of economic and social development, especially in low- and middle-income countries, this kit contains a poster map of the world,…

This report summarizes a study of the continuing training system for workers in Germany. It describes the instruments that have been developed in Germany for the organization and provision of continuing training, the groups of people concerned, and the costs involved. After defining continuing training and explaining its place within the overall…

This report presents a global analysis of the state of education. Comprised of four chapters, the first chapter is an introduction. Chapter 2 reviews the development of education at the global level between 1970 and 1990. The chapter focuses mainly on access to and participation in the formal education system, while drawing attention to regional…

This guide is designed to explain the concepts and details of the Certificates of General Education for Adults, which have been accredited by the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board in Victoria, Australia. Following an introduction, section 2, The Accreditation Document--Introductory, details the history of the project and the…