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The academic professoriate is a determinant of successful higher education systems. Yet, recently, worsening conditions of employment, deteriorating salaries, and threats to job security have made the academic profession less attractive, especially to young scholars, in several countries. This paper investigates the salaries as well as the recruitment and retention procedures in public higher education institutions from a cross country perspective. The UK, Germany, France, and Italy are adopted as case studies to determine the attractiveness of European higher education systems. The evolution over the last decade creates an extremely variegated picture.

This report summarises the outcomes of the first (micro) phase of the thematic country reviews (TCRs) on upskilling pathways in France, which reflect the points of view of both the beneficiaries of the outreach and guidance schemes and services under investigation, and the professionals involved in their implementation. The TCR on upskilling pathways for France highlights outreach and guidance for low-skilled adults, and the crosscutting dimensions of governance and financial and non-financial support in relation to the two areas of focus. Cedefop's work on the thematic country reviews on upskilling pathways aims at supporting Member States in the development of systematic, coordinated and coherent approaches to upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults. The aim is to undertake in-depth reviews of countries' national approaches to the implementation of the upskilling pathways Recommendation, with the support of key national stakeholders. France and Italy were the first two countries that undertook this TCR exercise in 2021; implementation is expected to last until the end of 2023. [This research paper was produced by Cedefop's Department for VET and skills.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in France. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Finland and Sweden) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

With the rise of polarization and extremism, the question of how best to transmit civic virtues across generations is more acute than ever. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that schools can be the place for this transmission by empowering students and gathering them around concrete and democratically chosen objectives. We draw on an RCT implemented in a large sample of middle schools in three European countries. The evaluated program leads students to carry out collective citizenship projects in their immediate communities under the supervision of teachers trained in student-centered teaching methods. The program significantly increases student altruism, their political self-efficacy as well as the quality of their relationship with their classmates and their respect for the rules of school life (less sanctions and absenteeism). In all three countries, the benefits are greater for students with the highest level of altruism and interest in politics at baseline. Investments made at an early age appear to be complement to those made during adolescence for the production of civic virtues.

Principals (policy makers) have debated the progress in U.S. student performance for a half century or more. Informing these conversations, survey agents have administered seven million psychometrically linked tests in math and reading in 160 waves to national probability samples of selected cohorts born between 1954 and 2007. This study is the first to assess consistency of results by agency. We find results vary by agent, but consistent with Flynn effects, gains are larger in math than reading, except for the most recent period. Non-whites progress at a faster pace. Socio-economically disadvantaged white, black, and Hispanic students make greater progress when tested in elementary school, but that advantage attenuates and reverses itself as students age. We discuss potential moderators.

The feedback between vocational education and training (VET) and the labour market can provide important input for the review and renewal of qualifications. A feedback loop that is based on learning outcomes helps provide deeper insights into what is required on the labour market, what is offered in training provisions and assessed at the end of a learning programme. The aim of this study is to contribute to strengthening the quality and relevance of qualifications and completing the feedback loop between education and the labour market. It examines methods of collecting data on the match/mismatch between qualifications and labour market requirements, including analysis of how achieved learning outcomes are applied and perceived in the labour market (for example methods of collecting the experience of employers with holders of these qualifications). This report addresses the following two questions: (1) which data already exist in the countries, providing insight into the relevance of qualifications to employees, employers and other labour market stakeholders?; and (2) how can survey methodology be designed to systematically capture the experiences and appreciations of employers as regards the content and profile of qualifications? To what extent, based on limited testing, can scalability of the methodology be achieved?

Validation and guidance help individuals, organisations and Member States adapt to career challenges and create successful lifelong learning systems. However, little is known about how they are linked in practice and how this connection can be made more efficient. Building on Cedefop's expertise in the two areas, this study -- based on analysis of 13 practices from 12 countries -- explores how coordination between career guidance and validation of non-formal and informal learning can be improved. Results point to three factors: (a) comprehensiveness: provision of adequate information and guidance before a decision to undergo validation is taken, throughout the entire validation process, as well as after it; (b) coherence: use of common qualifications or competence standards, occupational standards or other reference frameworks in all the stages of the practice to identify, document and assess skills; and (c) quality of staff, resources, competences, and tools used. The study concludes with policy recommendations on how to improve the link between guidance and validation.

This research paper is the fifth in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). Based on comparative analysis of labour force survey data from 2014, the report analyses the vocational effect on labour market and education outcomes, asking whether any advantages conferred by vocational qualifications in early career would be offset by disadvantages later in life. The report explores the functioning of the safety net and the diversion effects across countries, demonstrating how these vary considerably with the specific institutional structure of schooling and work-based training. The results indicate that VET graduates are potentially sacrificing the longer-term gains associated with further education in favour of short-term benefits. [This research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH and including the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]

In a highly competitive global landscape, occupations are transformed, new jobs are created and the skills needed for the labour market are constantly changing. European countries are looking at redefining VET [vocational education and training] to respond promptly to such challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead. They are reforming to modernise their VET systems and strengthen the relevance of their national qualifications in an international context. This publication explores national responses to globalisation in 15 countries and five economic sectors. It aims to understand how European and international initiatives help VET renewal across Europe. It shows how countries' reactions are embedded in their national traditions but also depend on their interactions with European, sectoral and multinational players that provide training and award qualifications. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by IBE Educational research institute and 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH.]

This paper tests if gender-discrimination in grading affects pupils' achievements and course choices. I use a unique dataset containing grades given by teachers, scores obtained anonymously by pupils at different ages, and their course choice during high school. Based on double-differences, the identification of the gender bias in grades suggests that girls benefit from a substantive positive discrimination in math but not in French. This bias is not explained by girls' better behavior and only marginally by their lower initial achievement. I then use the heterogeneity in teachers' discriminatory behavior to show that classes in which teachers present a high degree of discrimination in favor of girls are also classes in which girls tend to progress significantly more than boys, during the school year but also during the next four years. Teachers' biases also increase the relative probability that girls attend a general high school and chose science courses. The following are appended: (1) Do teachers' characteristics affect the gender bias?; (2) Estimation of the gender bias if the blind and non-blind scores do not measure the same abilities; and (3) Measure of the omitted variable bias affecting ? and a[subscript 2]. [This paper was produced as part of the Centre's Education Programme. The Centre for Economic Performance is financed by the Economic and Social Research Council.]

This study addresses qualifications at level 5 of the European qualifications framework (EQF) in 15 countries (Belgium (Flanders), the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, the United Kingdom (EWNI and Scotland) that had linked their national qualification levels to the EQF by June 2012. EQF level 5 qualifications play an important role in providing access to employment and career advancement as well as enabling further learning and progression to higher education. This double function makes them attractive to learners and employers. Although the extent to which countries use qualifications at EQF level 5 differs, their importance is growing in all countries investigated for several reasons. First, they are developed as response to increased needs for advanced technical and/or management skills. Second, they seem to be especially attractive to students with VET background and those already in employment. They also contribute to lifelong learning by being accessible and attractive for adults and non-traditional learners. The following are appended: (1) List of working definitions; (2) List of interviewees; (3) Available data on EQF level 5 qualifications; (4) Key purposes and functions of qualifications; (5) Further material on learning outcome descriptions of qualifications; and (6) Duration and mode of delivery. A bibliography is also included. [The research was carried out by Panteia in consortium with 3S under Cedefop service contract AO/ECVL/JBSPEV/Qualifications_EQF_level_5/001/12.]

This report analyses how learning supports labour market transitions and career changes of adult workers across five countries (Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and Italy). To make the most of career and labour market opportunities, individuals have to rely on their own resources and their agency but also know how to navigate the institutional context. To make successful labour market transitions, individuals need to have a sense of direction, they need to learn about opportunities, and they need to learn skills. Education and training has a special role in supporting adult workers in their careers, providing them with the competences, qualifications and, in some cases, with the self-confidence needed for successful transition. Guidance services tailored to individual needs can help individuals find appropriate career trajectories in their search for suitable job opportunities, and can foster relational, emotional, cognitive and practical learning. [This report is the result of a team effort. Cedefop is grateful to Alan Brown, Jenny Bimrose and Barbara Merrill from the University of Warwick (Institute for Employment Research and Centre for Lifelong Learning) for coordinating the research teams and contributing to and editing project reports. The interviews were carried out and the country reports prepared by country teams: Massimo Tomassini from the Faculty of Education Science, University of Roma Tre and Silvia Zanazzi from the Faculty of Education Science, University of Roma La Sapienza (Italy); Rie Thomsen, Ida Juul and Pia Cort from Aarhus University (Denmark); Esther Oliver and Lena de Botton from the University of Barcelona and Itxaso Tellado from University of Vic (Spain); M'Hamed Dif from the University of Strasbourg (BETA-Céreq Alsace), Rachel Mulvey from the University of East London and Sophie Perdrix from the University of Lausanne (France); as well as Simone Haasler and Barbara Rinken from the University of Bremen (Germany). Cedefop experts Antje Barabasch and Giovanni Russo coordinated the study, under the supervision of the Head of Area Pascaline Descy, with a valuable contribution from Pedro Moreno Da Fonseca who reviewed this publication. The work was carried out under Cedefop's service contract No AO/RPA/GRUSSO-ABARA/Narrative learning transitions/015/11.]

Differences in teacher quality are commonly cited as a key determinant of the huge international student performance gaps. However, convincing evidence on this relationship is still lacking, in part because it is unclear how to measure teacher quality consistently across countries. We use unique international assessment data to investigate the role of teacher cognitive skills as one main dimension of teacher quality in explaining student outcomes. Our main identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in teacher cognitive skills attributable to international differences in relative wages of nonteacher public sector employees. Using student-level test score data, we find that teacher cognitive skills are an important determinant of international differences in student performance. Results are supported by fixed-effects estimation that uses within-country between-subject variation in teacher skills.

A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good position to contribute to a faster economic recovery and long-term sustainable development. However, crucial for this role is continuous and systematic VET renewal that assures its relevance for the labour market. This publication explores 15 European national approaches to feedback mechanisms between VET and the labour market. It illustrates the diversity of solutions currently applied across Europe and how they are embedded in national traditions and education philosophy. The study asks three fundamental questions: how inclusive are national mechanisms for feedback between the VET system and the labour market; how responsive are existing mechanisms; and how transparent? Three annexes provide: (1) Case Studies; (2) List of interviewees; and (3) List of experts responsible for the country overviews. Bibliography and references are included. [This paper is the result of a team effort reflecting the work of a research consortium led by Jörg Markowitsch from 3s Research Laboratory who together with Tanja Bacher, Carol Costley, David Etherington, Gerhard Geiger, Günter Hefler, Jelena Helemäe, Triin Roosalu, Ellu Saar, Auni Tamm, and Odd Bjørn Ure conducted the research and fieldwork and drafted the report. This work was carried out under Cedefop's service contract No 2011-0161/AO/ECVL/JB-IPS/Cooperation Labour market--VET/007/11.]

The French Government has had a paradoxical relationship with globalization. Globalization is perceived as both a threat to react against and a cradle for new policy ideas. French policymakers have a love-hate relationship with the European higher education reforms that started in the 1990s, a mixed sentiment that French singer Serge Gainsbourg spoke of in his popular song, "Je t'aime moi non plus". At the outset, most of higher education reforms, such as the Bologna declaration, were framed as a way to build Europe and fight against international competition. Yet, the mode of governance of these reforms mirrored the one recommended by international organizations and led to the precise outcome criticized in globalization, i.e. greater competition. This paper explores the relationship between international, European and domestic discourses and modes of governance. It uses insights from the literature on policy transfer to investigate such relationship and questions the sustainability of such ambivalent discourse. The French government should concentrate on the policy it started developing from 2007 consisting in opening French higher education to globalization. Such global openness requires a change in the academic culture that could be triggered by a reform of academic training. (Contains 3 tables, 1 footnote and 8 notes.)

This paper presents an overview of the educational system and process of elaborating new curricula in France. The education system in France is at a central level, and schooling is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. The education system in France has undergone many reform movements during the last 25 years. The changes in society and economic, scientific, and technological progress lead the reform movements in education. (YDS)

There is an extensive literature on the productivity of universities. Little is known, however, about how different types of leaders affect a university's performance. To address this question, this paper blends quantitative and qualitative evidence. First, I establish that the best universities in the world are led by respected scholars. Next, by constructing a new longitudinal dataset, I show that the research quality of a university improves some years after it appoints a president (or vice chancellor) who is an accomplished researcher. To try to explain why scholar-leaders might improve the research performance of their institutions, I draw from interview data with twenty-six university heads in the United States and United Kingdom. These findings have policy implications for governments, universities, and a range of research and knowledge-intensive organizations. (Contains 7 figures and 27 footnotes.)

Within the last 50 years, the work-family-household arrangements upon which social policy systems in industrial nations were formulated have disappeared. This briefing paper examines how social policies of the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France have responded. The paper is presented in two major sections. The first section describes family policies in each country concerning parental leave, child benefits/family allowances, child care, marriage/cohabitation, and divorce. The second section discusses the mixed effects of maternity leave on womens employment, the lack of a relationship between fertility and maternity leave and fertility and cash benefits, and factors that complicate the relationship between countries' social spending and child poverty. Job-protected maternity leave is described as the most basic entitlement reflecting public acknowledgment of the economic necessity of working motherhood. Analyses suggest that fertility rates do not seem responsive to cash benefits or other policies, such as extended maternity leave, that function as wages for motherhood. In countries where child care provisions are not widely available, lengthy paid leaves have the effect of bringing women into the home for long periods of time. The most important role of cash benefits is to reduce child poverty, as illustrated by patterns in the U.S., France, and Germany. The paper concludes by asserting that Western European nations family policy can be divided into two types, one in which the social welfare system provides a comprehensive array of universal family benefits and services, and the other in which benefits are nonuniversal and accompanied by higher child poverty rates. The United States fits neither of the European patterns and is characterized by several contradictions contributing to the lack of political support for families. (Contains 98 references.) (KB)

This paper examines the influence of the Internet on the French language from a predominantly sociolinguistic perspective, noting the main areas of debate between francophone businesses, governments, and "Institutions de la Francophonie," while considering theories of language in contact and language policy. It analyzes a number of arbitrarily-selected, current, France-based, francophone Web sites in order to ascertain the level of influence of Internet-specific, English technical terminology on the French language (neologisms and Anglicisms, types of Anglicism, semantic Anglicisms, lexical Anglicisms, and graphical Anglicisms). The paper identifies and isolates linguistic tendencies that may provide clues about the reasons for this influence, and it verifies the existence of concrete evidence to justify French Minister for Justice Jacques Toubon's 1997 statement, "The dominant usage of English on the Internet is a new form of colonization. If we do nothing, it will be too late [...] we will be colonized." Three appendixes present a database of Anglicisms, a database of acronyms, and a list of French sample Web sites. (Contains references including books, Web sites, and dictionaries). (SM)

Pierre Bourdieu, the French sociologist whose work spanned over 40 years, died in January 2002. His work took in such diverse topics as international politics, colonialism, art and the media, marriage patterns of French farmers, and gender studies. As the Chair in Sociology at the College de France, Bourdieu published a number of major studies of French society, but it is perhaps as a sociologist of education that he will be best remembered. His interest in education began in the 1950s and resulted in studies of French schools and schooling. Later, he concerned himself increasingly with higher education and the French systems for recruiting the political elite. This paper offers a reconsideration of Bourdieu's work on education and sets out his main instruments of analysis. The paper also considers some recent trends in classroom practice in England and discusses these in the light of Bourdieu's approach. It considers how sociology can give people a perspective in aspects of education that are not immediately apparent and that certainly run counter to their stated aims and objectives. Specifically, it discusses how the ideas of Bourdieu provide insights and possible ways of understanding which enrich knowledge of pedagogic processes. (Contains 52 references.) (BT)

Children face many important changes in the first eight years of life, including different learning centres, social groups, roles and expectations. Their ability to adapt to such a dynamic and evolving environment directly affects their sense of identity and status within their community over the short and long term. In particular, the key turning points in children's lives--such as "graduating" from kindergarten to primary school or going through a culturally specific rite of passage--provide challenges and opportunities for learning and growth on multiple levels. This paper provides a review of the major perspectives in research on early childhood transitions and reveals the predominant areas of focus in both academic and professional studies, as well as important neglected viewpoints and study populations. Beginning with a broad and inclusive definition of the topic, the authors provide an overview of early childhood transitions research, highlighting the underlying assumptions that informed the studies. They assess concepts in the developmental theory that preceded transitions research as well as in the logic that determines how transitions are structured. More recent approaches are examined, including systems theories and the role of children as active participants in transitions. Several examples in this review show how multidisciplinary collaboration and culturally sensitive interventions can result in better participation of both parents and children in crucial early childhood transitions. Citing the need to harmonise early childhood education and care programmes with local education practices, the authors stress the value of greater transparency in the creation of policy and programming for children, in order to identify potentially limiting assumptions. Broadening and diversifying perspectives on transitions can lead to more integrated and culturally relevant rights-based early childhood programmes worldwide. A glossary and a bibliography are included. (Contains 7 footnotes.)

Beginning with the assumption that children across the full spectrum of family income, family composition, and prior experience with child care would benefit from being in a well-implemented preschool at 3 and 4 years of age, this working paper focuses on finding a feasible way to finance universal preschool for 4-year-olds. The paper begins with a discussion of the relationship between preschool, preschool quality, and developmental outcomes. The paper then provides background information on the current situation in the United States, followed by a detailed consideration of state-financed pre-kindergarten programs. Early childhood education programs in other industrialized nations are then described, with special attention given to programs in France and Sweden. Next, the paper focuses on possible financing approaches, first highlighting a variety of proposals designed to improve access to and quality of early childhood education in the United States. Finally, the paper presents and discusses a proposal for financing universal preschool for 4-year-olds in the United States which involves having parents pay for the program according to their ability to pay as measured by their average federal tax rate over a 10-year period. It is suggested that for the lowest-income parents, revenue would be raised by a reduction in the subsidy rate of the earned income tax credit; there would be a cap on the amount parents would pay in order to attract children of higher-income parents. (Contains 43 references.) (KB)

The Quality Convergence Study (QCS) project, a follow-up to a 2002 ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) survey of quality assurance practices in European countries, was carried out between September 2003 and October 2004. The project was coordinated by a project team consisting of representatives of ENQA member agencies and conducted by six member agencies of ENQA. The project team also made good use of six external quality assurance experts. This publication at hand is the final report of the project. The objective of the QCS project was to study the possibilities for convergence of national quality assurance systems in Europe through six examples, with the aim of obtaining identifiable reference points for transnational evaluations. In practical terms, the project aimed to find out "why" national quality assurance systems operate in particular, yet commonly identifiable ways in different national contexts. The existing descriptions of "how" these quality assurance processes work, formed the starting point of the project. Consequently, the QCS project had as its distinct purpose to increase understanding of those processes and their context in order to provide a base from which further action might be considered. In that sense, the project broke new ground. The writing of the self-analysis documents (SADs) and their examination constituted an important part of the project. Each participating agency drafted a detailed description about its specific national quality assurance context. After a cross-checking exercise, the SADs were sent to the external experts for analysis on the possibilities of convergence. The SADs have not been included into this paper, but can be found on the ENQA website at: http://www.enqa.net/pubs.lasso. One of the most important findings of the study is that convergence can be achieved not only by identifying similarities in the higher education systems, but also by understanding the different national contexts. The higher education systems are complex and constantly changing contexts for external quality assurance. The overall concept and objectives of the project fit closely with the aims of the Bologna Process. (Contains 20 footnotes.)

This paper explores educational stratification of unemployment in early labor market career; its institutional embeddedness in specific education and employment systems; and youth unemployment in France (F), the United Kingdom (UK), and West Germany (G), which greatly differ relative to major institutional characteristics of education systems and labor markets. Analyses use national Labor Force Surveys data to assess recent trends. The paper relies on single-stage and sequential logit models to estimate effects of individual educational achievement on unemployment risks and presents evidence of a sharp distinction between the educational stratification observed in G, F, and the UK. Findings indicate the following: (1) labor market entry occurs smoothly and immediately for vocationally qualified leavers in G, with extensive search for first jobs confined to the least qualified; (2) after initial employment in G, education plays a negligible role for risk of unemployment, which is more tied to features of employment positions; (3) in F and the UK, the match between qualifications and jobs is less clear-cut and level of education provides advantages in terms of less search unemployment and lower job instability, yet differentiation is much less pronounced; (4) in F and UK, education effects maintain positive impacts on job stability, suggesting a more gradual match between qualifications and attainment; and (5) results are stable for both time periods, indicating idiosyncratic changes in the educational stratification of youth unemployment. (Contains 58 references.) (YLB)

This document presents five papers, each describing different experiences in the introduction, promotion and implementation of innovative adult training approaches aimed at achieving more flexibility in skill development. An introduction (Anatoli Tchaban) presents background information and a synthesis of the studies covering definitions, concepts and approaches, government policies and institutional frameworks, major issues discussed, and a listing of appropriate strategies to adopt. The following papers are included: "Improving the Relevance of Vocational Training and Delivery Approaches: Recent Developments in Australia's Vocational Education and Training System" (Roland McMillan); "Open and Flexible Learning: Experience in the United Kingdom and in the Moscow Region of the Russian Federation" (John Twining); "Open System for Individualized Training: A French Training Scheme for Adults (Cyrille Salort); "More Flexibility through Modules: Scotland's Vocational Training Reform" (Rob van Krieken); and "Quick Start: Company Specific/Job Specific Training Programmes in the United States" (Clarence Burdette). The first two papers contain extensive bibliographies and the fourth has an appendix describing a vocational certification program in the travel and tourism area. (SLR)

There is growing evidence that students throughout the world no longer see the US as the primary place to study; that in some form this correlates with a rise in perceived quality and prestige in the EU and elsewhere; and further, that this may mean a continued decline in the US's market share of international students. There clearly are a complex set of variables that will influence international education and global labor markets, including the current global economic recession. Ultimately, however, we think these factors will not alter the fundamental dynamics of the new global market, which include these facts: the international flow of talent, scientific or otherwise, is being fundamentally altered as nations invest more in educational attainment and human capital; the US will continue to lose some of its market share over time--the only question is how quickly and by how much; and without a proactive strategy, nations such as the US that are highly dependent on global in-migration of talented students and professionals are most vulnerable to downward access to global talent, with a potentially significant impact on future economic growth. This study provides data on past and recent global trends in international enrollment, and offers a set of policy recommendations for the US at the federal, state, and institutional level. This includes our recommendation of a national goal to double the number of international students in the US over the next decade to match numbers in a group of competitor nations, and requires recognition that the US will need to strategically expand its enrollment capacity and graduation rates to accommodate needed increases in the educational attainment rate of US citizens, and to welcome more international students. Attracting talent in a global market and increasing degree attainment rates of the domestic population are not mutually exclusive goals. Indeed, they will be the hallmarks of the most competitive economies. (Contains 6 figures and 41 endnotes.)

This paper presents key indicators of educational and employment status for students making the transition from adolescence to early adulthood in selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The data that are presented include international comparisons of student achievement, educational attainment, literacy and unemployment among young adults. Data on expenditures for education are presented as a measure of national investment in education. It is a selective account, presenting data on important educational markers from international surveys and collections, offered as representative of key aspects of transitioning from education to the workforce in each country. To ensure comparability of data across countries, the data are derived from international surveys, or data collection efforts in which data have been harmonized. The time frame to which the data refer is the middle of the 1990s, between 1994-96. The countries chosen for comparison are OECD members that are representative of the regions of Europe (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern), English-speaking countries, and Asia. The coverage of countries varies by source, as the same countries did not participate in each of the surveys and data collections. However, every effort was made to include seven countries that are of particular interest, and they are the focus of the discussion in the text and appear in the figures when data are available: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Italy. An appendix presents: Description of School Systems in Seven Countries.

This paper presents a review of the literature on governance and management of higher education, offers a set of concepts for discussion on higher education governance, and identifies recent trends that might have a significant influence on the development of higher education systems. It examines the dynamics of higher education systems, focusing on the distribution of authority, the possibilities of market coordination, governmental steering strategies, the role of buffer organizations, management processes, and educational quality. The paper concludes by discussing the issue of governance in higher education in the context of developments and problems in developing nations. It argues that certain major changes, such as deregulation, decentralization, and a decreased government role, are needed to solve the present crisis in higher education in developing nations. (Contains 64 references.) (MDM)

The conclusion of a 1999 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report that wage gains for training are higher for workers with lower levels of education was revisited using data for males from the 1997 Australian Survey of Education and Training (SET). The study used methods similar to the OECD report (ordinary least squares and treatment effects model) with the following findings: (1) earnings effects for workers with Skilled and Basic Vocational Qualifications were slightly higher than for completers of Year 12; (2) years of occupational experience strongly affected earnings, though effect size declines with experience; and (3) structured training had a positive effect and unstructured training mixed effects. No evidence of a pattern of earnings effects consistent with the OECD results was found. A second study conducted further analyses of the 1997 SET data within the context of the OECD results. For Australia, the OECD had used 1995 Australian Workplace and Industrial Relations Survey (AWIRS). SET results were compared with AWIRS and other results for Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. The reanalysis highlighted limitations of the OECD report: focus on employer-sponsored formal training, incumbent employees aged 25-54, and cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data. With multivariate analyses to correct for selection biases, the second study did not support the conclusion of the OECD report. (Study 1 contains 10 references; study 2 contains 24 references.) (SK)

This report summarizes six case studies on different aspects of the issue of evaluating investing in continuing vocational training (CVT). Part 1 (chapters 1-2) contains "Conceptual Introduction" (Jean-Marie Luttringer), which explores practical problems in considering training expenses as an investment, and "Methodological Introduction" (Alan Barrett), which discusses the merits of using qualitative and quantitative research methods in evaluating CVT investments. Part 2 (chapters 3-8) describes and analyzes continuing training schemes in six European Member States: "The Evaluation of CVT in Enterprises in Styria in Austria" (Stefan Lorenzoni, Dieter Mandl) investigates whether certain goals of CVT were achieved; "The Importance of CVT to Enterprises: A Discussion of the Agricultural Foodstuffs Sector in Denmark" (John Houman Sorenson) seeks to understand why CVT is not being used; "Accounting for Enterprise Investment in CVT in France" (J-M Luttringer, N. Pasco) discusses difficulties associated with evaluating CVT investments; "Innovative Models for Financing CVT in Germany" (Uwe Grunewald, Dick Moraal) studies four innovative models of CVT provision; "Measuring the Impact of CVT in Irish Companies" (Alan Barrett, Philip O'Connell) explores whether training and productivity growth are positively related across a sample of firms. "CVT Activity within the Packaging Sector in Italy" (Francesco Garibaldo) provides insights into how CVT can be used to cope with challenges faced by a sector. Part 3 contains two chapters: "Methodological Discussion, Conclusions, and Further Work" (Alan Barrett), which reviews each report individually before drawing general conclusions regarding methodology and "Policy Discussion, Conclusions, and Further Work" (Jean-Marie Luttringer), which examines seven problems in the assessment of training investment. Appendixes provide background to CVT in the six countries. (YLB)

Research tested the hypothesis that preemployment vocational education is a major contributor to enterprise productivity, because it raises workers' skills that are then applied in more effective work practices. An intercountry comparisons approach involving Britain and Germany and Britain and the Netherlands or France identified medium-sized establishments that produced similar products and compared and contrasted the following: worker productivity; management styles and practices; technologies used; workplace organization; on-the-job training; level and type of vocational qualifications of workers; and curriculum content relating to the qualifications. Findings were as follows: the average productivity of the British enterprises was below that of their counterparts; percentages of British personnel holding intermediate qualifications were much lower; in contrast to British manufacturing, German manufacturing was withdrawing from producing bulk quantities of standard goods; German companies were more inclined to use numerically controlled machinery; and machine breakdowns were rare in Germany, but common in Britain. The different productivity levels were also due to workers' capabilities, which could be explained as a consequence of differences in work preparation. Implications for Australia were to emphasize skilling to increase productivity in customized, high-quality products; to develop technological competence; and to implement rigorous student assessment. (Contains 46 references.) (YLB)

This paper offers a broad look at accreditation and quality assurance in higher education and how these issues are addressed around the world. Section 1 is an overview of accreditation and addresses the aims and objectives of accreditation, standards, accreditation bodies, stages of the accreditation process, the quality of that process, the role of government in the accreditation process, some critical points of view concerning the process, and present accreditation trends. Section 2 looks at accreditation and quality assurance through brief national case studies. The nations represented are France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, China, India, Hong Kong, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Australia. This section closes with a section comparing accreditation and quality assurance in various regions. Section 3 takes a closer and more detailed look at the accreditation process in Romania, particularly in light of the recent political and educational changes in this nation and the fairly recent decision to introduce accreditation of institutions of higher education. This examination covers accreditation principles and objectives, standards for initial and subsequent accreditation, application rules, structure of the accreditation committee and its functions, and provisions for financing accreditation. Appendixes contain institutional evaluation standards and a glossary. (Contains 27 references.) (JB)

An elementary school English second language program in Caen (France) is described and evaluated. The program evolved from national policy initiatives to reintroduce modern foreign languages in the primary schools. The eventual National Experiment involved a selected number of schools in which a foreign language was to be taught. Data for this study were gathered in site visits to six schools, through interviews with eight teaching assistants and administrators and classroom observation of 16 lessons. The report offers background on the project, describes the study's methodology, and details aspects of the project's design and implementation. The latter includes: organization of lessons; emphasis on language awareness rather than language teaching; instructional techniques and materials used; integration of the program curriculum with the elementary school curriculum; head teachers' views; links with secondary schools and their curriculum; overseas exchanges; parent and pupil attitudes; and the views of teaching assistants. Comments are made on three program aspects: organization; classroom teaching techniques; and role of the teaching assistants. Based on findings concerning this program and another in England, remarks are made on three key issues: use of foreign language assistants untrained in teaching techniques and strategies, political and cultural dimensions of such a project; and the need for a more clearly defined and coherent syllabus. (MSE)

This report examines how parent involvement in running day care centers in France has increased in recent years, and investigates the role that the Association des Collectifs Enfants Parents Professionnels (ACEPP) has played in making this form of child care more acceptable. After a discussion of the historical development and current choices of child care provisions in France, the concept of parent-run day care centers is described. Information is presented about the establishment and operation of parent-run centers, as well as issues and problems associated with this form of child care. The role of ACEPP in promoting development, encouraging dialogue, providing training, and working in the poorest areas of France is discussed, and applications of the model to disadvantaged and migrant families are described. A description is provided of the ACEPP-Bernard van Leer Foundation Project, a 3-year experimental project which examines factors limiting educational attainment among young disadvantaged migrants. The report closes with a discussion of overall issues and conclusions drawn from the study. Brief descriptions of three parent-run day care centers in Paris are attached. (MM)