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This briefing paper focuses on the choices of instructional language in Pacific classrooms, as mandated by national or state policies, and discusses consequences of such choices on students' academic achievement and career preparation in the changing Pacific region. The paper first notes that in most South Pacific secondary schools, English is the language of the classroom, but for many upper grade students, English is their second language. The paper considers the misalignment of home and school languages, explaining that although the home languages of indigenous Pacific people are regarded by speakers and local authorities as an inherent part of indigenous culture and as the living language of the home, street, and community, they are rarely given a real role in academics. It then discusses some of the pros and cons of English as the language of instruction that Pacific educators must seriously consider. The paper goes on to discuss language and cognitive development and language policies across the curriculum, citing New Zealand as an example of a nation now using bilingual education in the development of ethnic preschools. (Contains 15 references.) (NKA)

This paper identifies some of the major obstacles to the integration of university qualifications into New Zealand's National Qualifications Framework. Currently, New Zealand's universities are under pressure to integrate their qualifications into the Framework which employs a method of unit design that is generally more suited to trade and technical training than the general and professional education programs typically offered at universities. The paper examines problems that would arise if the Framework method of defining unit standards were applied to the design of university programs and papers. Several pedagogical problems are identified along with philosophical differences between the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the universities over matters such as the nature and structure of knowledge, credit transfer, the recognition of prior learning, the transfer of generic skills, and the primacy given by the NZQA to unit standards rather than to total qualification. Instead of universities following the unit standard model of development, an extended framework structure is suggested which emphasizes the total qualification. Such a structure is likely to allow for a more productive relationship to develop between the NZQA and universities. (Contains 21 references.) (JB)

The five main issues that are currently confronting vocational educators and policymakers in New Zealand are as follows: participation rates in vocational education and training, the changing role of vocational education and training in secondary schools, new initiatives in light of youth unemployment and transition difficulties, recognition of competence, and responsiveness of the system to the need for change. The labor and skill shortages that were endemic in New Zealand in the past provided even unskilled early school leavers with easy access to employment. Thus, dropout rates were traditionally high and participation rates in continuing education were low. As the country's employment picture changes, however, there is growing awareness of the need for initiatives in vocational education and training, both within the formal education system and at the point of transition from school to work. The country's new ACCESS program is a response to the transition problem. ACCESS is a new system of community-based transition education and training to provide for job seekers who do not choose the traditional options of apprenticeship, further study, or direct entry into the work force. (MN)

Papers on art libraries and information services for the arts, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "'I See All': Information Technology and the Universal Availability of Images" by Philip Pacey (United Kingdom); (2) "Online Databases in the Fine Arts" by Michael Rinehart (United States); (3) "State of Automation in Swiss Art Libraries: The General Situation" by Karl Jost (Switzerland); (4) "Computerisation in Swiss Art Libraries: State of the Art" by Jean-Pierre Dubouloz (Switzerland) (English translation by Morag Morton); (5) "Computer Applications to Slide Collections" by A. Zelda Richardson (United States); (6) "ARLIS/ANZ (Art Libraries Society/Australia New Zealand) and Art Libraries in the Antipodes" by Valerie Richards (New Zealand); (7) "The Art and Architecture Thesaurus Project" by Pat Molholt (United States); (8) "Information Technology & Visual Images: Some Trends & Developments" by Patrick Purcell and Henry Okun (United States); (9) "The Development, Management, and Preservation of Art and Architectural Microform Collections" by Paula Chiarmonte (United States); (10) "Online Databases for Architects and Designers" by Valerie J. Bradfield (United Kingdom); (11) "CeCILE: A Bibliographic Database for Design at the Pompidou Centre" by C. Mihailovic (France) (English translation by Ian Sheridan); (12) "Systeme Descriptif des Representations (A System for Describing Representational Art)" by Francois Garnier (France--paper in French); (13) "Universal Accessibility of Art Images and Information Technology" by Sven Sandstrom (Sweden); (14) "Art Libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany" by Thomas Lersch (West Germany); and (15) "Videodiscs and Art Documentation" by Janice Sorkow (United States). (ESR)

Fifteen papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented on professional education and practical training. They include: "Essential and Professional Education of Physics Teachers in Poland" (Kazimierz A. Badziag); "Vocational Teaching at a Distance: The New Zealand Perspective" (Dave Nicoll); "Principles and Practices in Distance Education" (Faith B. Collins); "Providing a Reality Base for Your Qualification" (Johan Herholdt); "The Role of Private Correspondence Colleges in the Fields of Tertiary Business Education in South Africa" (Theuns Gerber); "The Necessity for Distance Teaching in the In-Service Education of Teachers in Southern Africa" (R.M. Yule); "The 'Distance' Implications of Cooperative Education at Residential Universities as a Strategy to Ensure Effective Education for the Professions" (A.J. Havenga); "Career-Oriented Technikon Training (Technikon Programmes) by Means of Distance Teaching, with Special Reference to Laboratory, Practicals, and In-Service Training" (Z. van Dyk); "The Development of a Computer Package for Distance Education Accounting Students" (D.E. Wolvaardt et al.); "The Development of Distance Education for Traffic Police" (M.G.T. Cloete); "Professional Development in Vocational Courses such as Social Work with Specific Attention to Field Instruction" (R.C.W. van Bijon); "Beyond Professional Training: Developing Mental Health Leadership" (discussion: W.J. Jordaan, P. LeRoux, G. Rodemeyer, F.J.A. Snyders); "Teaching Cataloguing and Classification by Correspondence" (M.S. van der Merwe);"The Practical Component in the Education Programme of Students in Library and Information Science at UNISA" (Wanda Thomas); and "The Contribution of Distance Education to the Development of the Nursing Profession in Southern Africa" (Charlotte Searle). (LB)

With a rising level of female school leaver unemployment, and recent cutbacks in traditional areas of women's employment, it has become a matter of urgency for positive, comprehensive action to be taken within the education system of New Zealand to encourage young women into a wider range of vocational opportunities. A coordinated policy from intermediate school level through tertiary is needed; and it must take account of the sex segregation in prevocational and vocational preparation and the concept of sex role stereotyping and its effect on the socialization of girls and boys. Issues requiring consideration include (1) the common core curriculum in forms 1-4 and the availability of all subjects to both girls and boys; (2) subject choices of girls and boys at senior secondary level when prevocational choices are made; (3) the quality and impact of career education programs; (4) the preparation and training of the counseling and teaching staff; and (5) affirmative action programs in vocational training at the tertiary level. In particular, the situation of Maori and Pacific Island female school leavers requires urgent attention and action. The New Zealand National Advisory Committee on Women and Education recommends that polices be developed to encourage equal participation by women in the economic, social, and decision-making structures of the country, a role they have not often played in the past. (Appendixes include a statement by the minister of education and statistics on subject choices, school leavers, and school certificates). (Author/KC)

Although recognized as being out-of-date, two characteristics of New Zealand's outlook on the world (a monocultural attitude and isolationism), have played a significant part in forming community opinions and attitudes on national and international development questions. Attitudes toward Third World countries are narrowed by lack of information, lack of cultural experience, and suspicion of "political extremism." New Zealand, itself, exhibits many characteristics of a developing country: small in area and population, an island nation, dependent for export earnings on its primary produce, easily affected by overseas economic trends and changes, and deeply in debt to foreign banks. In New Zealand the concept of development education is still new. A few schools offer optional"liberal studies" courses. While regarded as "leftist" or disruptive, churches are beginning to consider aid to developing countries and have established an Ecumenical Secretariat for Development. Major forces in development education are CORSO, International Coalition for Development Action, Co-ordinating Agencies Committee, and World Vision. Possible strategies for development education include formation of coalitions of people already involved to work together nationally, greater attendance at international conferences, international activist exchange programs, and publication of resource materials emphasizing New Zealand's role in development education. (NEC)

Vocational education has a role to play in transition education, especially in relation to postsecondary institutions and to initial employment. Recent overseas developments in vocational education and the transition from school to working life have implications for contemplated changes in senior secondary school curriculum, assessment, and qualifications in New Zealand. These include developments in English, mathematics, and science teaching through cooperation between teachers of academic and vocational subjects; new approaches to develop the skills necessary to provide for the different characteristics and occupational requirements of an emerging technological society; the potential offered by work exploration in developing positive attitudes and increased employability and earning power in students; novel approaches involving schools and communities to increase students' self-esteem and employability; the role of entrepreneurship education in promoting self-employment and small business establishmen; and benefits arising from in-service training of teachers. It is concluded that while New Zealand lacks, by international standards, both a commitment and a systematic approach to vocational education in secondary schools, the opportunity now exists for positive initiatives in this area. (Appendixes include the following brief reports that supplement the text: (1) Training and Employment; (2) Reinforcing the Importance of a General Education; (3) Schools Must Change--The New York Experience; (4) Cooperative Education--Issues to Consider; (5) Employability Skills--The Colorado Initiative; and (6) Entrepreneurship Education--The PACE Programme.) (YLB)

As a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet makes it possible to customize education to individual needs, deliver education anywhere and anytime, and enable learners to interact with other learners and teachers collaboratively to solve problems and learn new skills. Nevertheless, as a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet is still fraught with the following problems: (1) learning not tailored to meet individual learners' needs in a culturally specific manner may be ineffective; (2) because English is the predominant language of the Internet, many learners who are not native English speakers cannot make full use of the Internet; and (3) learning materials may need to be redesigned for the online environment. A group of New Zealand educators who have offered education via the Internet since 1995 and who now have major mirror sites in Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Canada, and South Africa, offer the following lessons to educators seeking to embrace lifelong learning on the Internet: (1) interaction is a key ingredient in the learning process; (2) providing feedback is an essential element of learning on the Internet; (3) offer courses in learners' native languages; (4) abandon the concepts of copyright and ownership; and (5) when designing courses, seek a balance between investment and change by designing courses for obsolescence. (Contains 37 references.) (MN)