Purpose: The paper's aim is to present a critical review of the current European process of co-operation in VET with a special view to the European Qualification Framework and its competence orientation. Design/methodology/approach: The approach reviews the official documentation and the consultation process and a contrastive analysis of the state…

This article presents empirical results of explorative case studies that examine whether the New Public Management mechanisms have improved the academic performance of PhD education in selected German and European economics departments. Our data rely on document analyses of organisational variables and in-depth semi-structured interviews with…

This study analyzes the structural reform of local governments funding for early childhood education (ECE) as the general public still casts doubts about the fairness of ECE system in China. A particular case in point is the Shenzhen Municipal Government's reform on their ECE funding system. Because the reform efforts are more about restructuring…

The aim of this paper is to provide a brief critical analysis of the adult literacy curriculum as one element of the Skills for Life Strategy and to consider how it has been used to legitimise a dominant adult literacy policy based on economic and political rationales. The term critical has many meanings. Here it is used to explore how the adult…

Each year, the American Psychological Association's Policy and Planning Board takes the pulse of the Association and the discipline as a whole and writes a report that represents the Board's best appraisal of a fundamental policy. Our main objective, however, is not simply to assess the current situation but to look forward on behalf of the…

Chaoyang township is one of the poorest townships in a national-level impoverished county in the southwest. Statistics show that the average per capita income for farming families was RMB1,931 per year in 2006. Before the highway came through the area, the residents of Chaoyang township had to walk for two whole days across mountain ranges to get…

Most of the reforms, which have been undertaken in the last 30 years in the Turkish educational system, are about teacher education. When we examine the teacher education curriculum from the perspective of these reforms, it has been observed that there is a controversy between the academic and professional approaches used in these curricula. While…

There is much interest in the effects of a larger parental role in schooling issues. That role can exist through voice--direct parental involvement in schools and participation in the political process that dictates schooling policies--or through choice from a menu of schooling options. This article addresses the limited understanding and…

We use administrative data to examine how "clock" policies--program time limits and recurring deadlines for confirming eligibility--affected participation in South Carolina's TANF and Food Stamp Programs from 1996-2003. South Carolina's TANF program limits most families to two years of benefits in any ten-year period; so, recipients…

A lack of analysis and research into primary education in general, and primary school leadership in particular, has left primary practitioners exposed like never before to the vagaries of policy-makers and unpredictable contextual pressures. The purpose of this article is to initiate discussion on the state of primary school leadership in Hong…

This article talks about a new report card on higher education which suggests that, though some states have improved their grades on preparing students for college, nearly all deserve to be on academic probation for failing to keep college affordable. This message was echoed by many of the advocates, researchers, and experts who took turns at the…

In this article, we critically reflect on the constitution of the UK's alcohol problem in the government's "Safe, Social, Sensible" policy document, referring to findings from a 3-year ESRC funded study on young people, alcohol and identity. We suggest that discursive themes running throughout "Safe, Sensible, Social" include…

In light of the recent election of the Rudd Labor government, and the highlighting of social inclusion as a ministerial portfolio and policy direction, this paper considers the relationship between "youth participation" and social inclusion. It argues that the neoliberal social and economic policies of the Howard era resulted in social…

In the face of globalization, states around the world have tried to regain legitimacy by using a policy framework known as new public management (NPM). In education, it promises to improve quality and competitiveness, by means of increasing control over educational institutions, implementing managerial techniques and submitting educational…

This article analyses the views of selected headteachers on the impact of the 10-year basic education policy on the leadership skills of secondary school headteachers in Botswana. Research literature on school leadership and management in Botswana is sparse. Despite this, demands for effective leadership in schools have continued as the education…