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Changes in the relative "productivity" of the medical sciences in France, Germany, Britain, and the United States from 1800 to about 1925 may be explained as a result of the various degrees of competitiveness of the academic systems of these countries. The German and the American systems were competitive (because they were decentralized); the French and the British were not. Academic competition forced upon the German system, and later the American system as well, decisions which, according to contemporary expert opinion, were premature or unnecessary. These decisions, concerning the recognition of specialized disciplines, creation of research facilities, and expansion of scientific training, led to the emergence of regular scientific careers, and proved eventually to be decisive for the acceleration of scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the state of education in Germany, focusing on the Institut fur Bildungsforschung in der Max-Planck-Gessellshaft. It examines the public concern over the dangers inherent in the state of German education. The article considers one of the basic factors of German educational policy to which the present state of emergency is to be ascribed. It explores the constitutional principle of cultural federalism within the Federal Republic which coupled as it is with a high degree of central control by the Lander and local authorities. The article also considers the relationship between research, planning and policy. A comparative study on the strategy of educational reform is presented.

The article offers information on the restriction of applied science in Germany. On April 28, 1946, the Allied Control Council approved a legislation providing for a continuing and rigid control of scientific research in this country. The study of applied nuclear physics is one of the subjects disallowed to all and any Germans. Also outlawed are research in applied aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, gas turbine engines, and the remote control of aircraft. The law encompasses all universities and colleges, technical high schools, and Kaiser Wilhelm institutes.