Summarizes strengths and weakness of the Japanese approach to vocational training and education. Stresses the Japanese "obsession" with education and the high levels of education obtained by its citizens, the state's commitment to planning and financial support for high standards of industrial training, and industry's commitment to…

Students in grades six to 12 who participate in National History Day may write a paper, develop an individual or group project or performance, or develop a media presentation on the topic of their choice related to the annual theme. Professional historians judge the entries. The program and its benefits are described. (RM)

Under Secretary of State Thomas Johnston's leadership, the Council considered seven wide-ranging issues in education and produced a series of exemplary reports directed at reforms capable of speedy translation into practice. In the post-war period, the Council lost its influence and the Scottish Education Department returned to its traditional…

This is one of several reports used to monitor the public-school system in North Carolina. This report has three purposes: (1) to assist policymakers in gauging the status and progress of student achievement in the state; (2) to compare student achievement in North Carolina with student achievement nationwide; and (3) to inform the public of the…

A comparative research project is being implemented to describe how curriculum guidelines are developed and applied in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and to compare the underlying structures and strategies that influence and determine curriculum work and curriculum-making at different levels of decision making and enactment.…

Establishing a British national strategy to tackle youth drug use would seem an obvious first step in solving the drug problem. Some ideas for remedying the drug problem among young people are presented in this conference report. Drug abuse among children and adolescents throws up some complex issues and the obstacles to any coordinated,…

The National Framework for the Recognition of Training (NFROT) is one of the key structures underpinning training reform in Australia. NFROT's basic principles and fundamental purposes are supported by almost everyone involved with the framework, and there is strong evidence that NFROT has provided considerable benefits to providers and learners…

This report reviews progress in implementation of the World Bank's poverty reduction strategy during fiscal 1996-97. Chapter 1, "The World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy and Future Directions," outlines elements in the poverty reduction strategy: policies to promote broad-based labor-demanding growth and increase the productivity and…

This book is a wide-ranging anthology that surveys the field of international and area studies as it has developed in the United States from its beginnings and accomplishments under Title VI to the current paradigmatic shifts taking place in research, teaching, and outreach. A number of contributors to this volume provide historical overviews of…

On February 15, 1996, the Clinton-Gore Administration announced the Technology Literacy Challenge, envisioning a 21st century where all students benefit from the use of educational technology. At the heart of this challenge are four goals that help to define the task at hand: All teachers in the nation will have the training and support they need…

Information for development has become one of the most pressing issues of the last decade, which Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have to tackle on an urgent basis. The need and urgency for planning national information systems has been clearly pointed out in several international conferences. Major research and development centers of…

This paper is one of several intended to consider early childhood care and education within the context of Canada's National Children's Agenda. The paper takes the position that a blended, coherent system of early childhood development programs incorporating child care, early childhood education, and family support services should be available in…

This report explores, in particular, the educational R&D systems in two countries, England and New Zealand, both members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD review teams have been assessing the effectiveness of the educational R&D systems in these two countries in developing and applying usable…

In Argentina, vocational guidance is used to identify psychological and educational resources to help people through transitions and changes, and to develop training, job-related projects, and strategies useful to acquire new competencies. Though public policies favoring the development of an integrated national counseling system do not exist,…

In Hong Kong, career guidance and employment services for secondary school students and the public at large are provided by the Education Department, the Labour Department, and the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters. These organizations work together to provide career information, guidance, and employment assistance. The…