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While European governance of individual policy sectors has received considerable academic scrutiny, less attention has been paid to the development of intersectoral coordination. This paper charts the emergence of a supranational boundary-spanning policy regime (BSPR) in education and employment in Europe. By looking at issues, ideas, interests and institutions, we gain a deeper understanding of the conditions for the emergence and further institutionalisation of European intersectoral coordination in education and employment from the 1990s onwards. The study relies on semi-structured interviews with European policy-makers in education and employment and EU policy documents. We analyse how endogenous and exogenous factors frame (policy) issues that contribute to the emergence and further strengthening of intersectoral coordination, the extent to which ideas for European education and employment stress intersectoral policy designs, how interests support or hinder intersectoral work, and which institutions are developed with an intersectoral reasoning. We find that endogenous forces (rather than exogenous ones) played a significant role in the emergence of a European BSPR in education and employment. Structural aspects and policy instruments (institutions), alongside ideas and interests, then contribute to the institutionalisation of the European BSPR in education and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper attempts to determine the National education policy 2020 and role of library and information centers. However, these prospects have not been revealed clearly in NEP. However, libraries with quality collection digital resources must communicate quality education. According to NEP 2020, several educational levels will be introduced, including fundamental education, preparatory education, middle education, secondary education, under-graduation, post-graduation education stage, Research Stage and Lifelong learning stage. NEP has emphasized the significance of libraries in a number of areas, including the preservation of national heritage and the promotion of reading culture. Additionally, through practicing fixed librarianship, library professionals must identify new areas in which they can improve and increase the effect of higher education scholars. The author of this review talked about how the government and universities are changing their roles in libraries for NEP. The paper states that the management libraries in the higher education sector must be established as centers for student and research support as well as play a custodial role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the issue of institutional diversity in Australian higher education, taking account of international trends and research on the subject. Drawing on empirical studies over the last three decades, I adopt a within-country case study approach to analysing institutional diversity in the Australian higher education policy context and consider post-COVID systemic implications. Catalysts for this analysis include revisions to the Australian provider category standards, government policy shifts influencing the undergraduate curriculum, and the systemic impact of a global pandemic. The paper concludes with three propositions, arguing that institutional diversity will be more important than ever to meet the diverse needs of students and the labour market; an ecosystemic approach to post-secondary education will be a key enabler of sector diversity; and a paradigm shift, enabled by such drivers as government policy and proactive institutional leadership, will be essential to achieve enhanced institutional diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we try to analyze some recent and ongoing changes that are taking place in the Uruguayan higher education system. Based on a system historically conditioned by the presence of a single public university, we try to briefly review the changes at this educational level in recent years, hand in hand with different national governments. In a regional scenario of increasing privatization from which Uruguay was apparently on the sidelines at times, we examine the characteristics of some changes that are taking place now and may constitute advances in a certain wave of privatization. We use contributions from the educational field, higher education and public policies and we conclude the text problematizing how novel these changes are and their possible impact given certain national characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developments across the board require an educational backup which requires a robust educational system. The last 50 years have witnessed big leap transformation of applications supported by advancements in science and technology. Even today due to the fast advancement it is difficult to evaluate how usage shapes up in the near future. This requires an upgraded educational structure to cope with the challenges. India has over 1/sixth of the human force representation on the global map and it should contribute strongly to the global development in sync with the human force representation on earth. India responded slowly to the upgradation gap in the education policy and came up with a new one after a gap of 34 years. The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India provides a comprehensive framework from primary education to higher education, vocational & technical education and a new paradigm of internet‐based e‐leanings. Five founding pillars of this policy (i.e., Access, equity, affordability, accountability, and quality) have been considered to build the new education system of India to create a perfect harmony with the principles of United Nations (UN) 2030 agenda for sustainable development. However, the successful implementation of this policy requires a significant structural overhaul in the Indian education system. This paper provides insights into various contours of NEP 2020 and how it aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 targets. This paper looks at how India should step up with caution to achieve the objectives. The paper presents some major loopholes and execution challenges that need to be addressed to truly foster "quality education for all" with the objective of providing value to the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), proved to be a pioneer in the implementation of indigenous higher education policy, since in 2004, it already had discussions on this theme, that brought as a result the resolution number 37/04 of the University Council (COUN). Considering this statement, this paper aims to analyze the public policy of affirmative action by the bias of indigenous higher education at UFPR, considering the performance and experience of an Executive Secretariat in this area and thematic. Therefore, a theoretical approach was carried out between the concepts inherent to the executive secretariat, public policy, affirmative actions, indigenous higher education policy - the specifically of admission the educational investigated. In the methodology, we contemplated the Multiple Streams Models, Case Study and the Content Analysis approach. The emphasis was given to the agenda formation, collating interviews with managers and key informants of the implementation of the policy in UFPR. Nevertheless, as result, located the agenda in this political conjunction considering the historical and institutional elements, the occurrence of government action in the role of institutional managers, as well as the social movements, the academic community and there was a change in political actions mainly in the 2002/2006 management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omitted prior achievement bias is pervasive in international assessment studies and precludes causal inference. For example, reported negative associations between student-oriented teaching strategies and student performance are against expectations and might actually reflect omitted prior achievement bias. Namely, that these teaching strategies are negatively correlated with unobserved prior achievement performance, because teachers offer more support to lower performing students, and not that these strategiescauselower performance. This paper examines omitted prior achievement bias in teaching effects with prior achievement data available for students in England participating in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. Further, it proposes an analytical approach to account for omitted prior achievement bias in international estimates. The paper argues that the bias is not simply a technical artefact, but reflects educational mechanisms unobserved in international assessment studies, which can be captured with matched assessment data-sets or with evidence from previous studies. Estimates of these mechanisms can be used to postulate scenarios of the bias across education systems and thereby adjust international estimates of teaching effects as if prior achievement were observed. Potentials and limitations of this approach for studying educational effectiveness with international assessment data are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The broad aim of this paper is to track the evolution of adult literacy policy in the UK across three decades, highlighting convergences between policy phases and the promotion of democratic learning spaces. It is anchored onto the argument that, although it is generally accepted that democratic learning spaces are perceived as beneficial to adult literacy learners, policy has often deterred its promotion and, therefore, implementation. The paper identifies three block phases of adult literacy development: the seventies to mid-eighties, the mid-eighties to mid-nineties and the mid-nineties to the Moser Committees. The features of each of these phases are highlighted to map out convergences and divergences to the ethos of democratic learning spaces. The paper argues that, with the evolution of policy in adult literacy, the ethos of democratic learning space continuously diminished, such that as policy evolved year on year, the principle of democratic learning space found itself at counterpoint to policy. We draw on two theoretical frameworks, the NLS view of literacy and Bourdieu's capital framework to explain these divergences and conclude that the dominant perception of literacy and the prioritised capital in the context of policy appear to limit the vestiges of democratic learning spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research provides evidence that gender, immigrant background and socio-economic characteristics present multiple disadvantaging characteristics that change their relative importance and configurations over time. When evaluating inequalities researchers tend to focus on one particular aspect and often use composite measures when evaluating socio-economic characteristics. Neither can fully represent the complexity of students’ various disadvantaging characteristics, which have autonomous associations with attainment and with each other. This paper investigates how the relative importance and configurations of different disadvantaging factors have changed over time to form educational inequalities and how these changes differ across countries. Data from five PISA cycles (2000–2012) for France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom are used and configurations of gender, immigration background, parents’ occupational and educational levels, and the number of books at home evaluated. Results enable us to relate changes (or lack thereof) in configurations of disadvantaging factors to recent reforms targeted at reducing educational inequality after the first PISA results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice in the UK. Government policy statements stress the importance of developing learner independence, and higher education pedagogical practices tend to rest on the assumption that students are independent learners. This paper draws on research with undergraduate students in a post-1992 university to offer a critical appraisal of the discourse of the independent learner. The paper examines students’ perceptions of independence in both their first year of undergraduate study, and in the later years of their degree courses. Support for learning and issues related to asking for help are discussed. Whilst students tend to both expect and want to be independent, it is suggested that dominant constructions of the independent learner are gendered and culturally specific, and as such are inappropriate for the majority of students in a mass higher education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws together two major strands in current Government policies for higher education—the promotion of collaborative partnerships in higher education and the widening participation agenda. Both of these also contribute to the enhancement of workforce development. The paper explores the interface between these two policies through a case study of an employer‐led curriculum development for a group of people who had hitherto been excluded from higher education. The case in question is a collaboration between a higher education institution and a charitable organization whose aim was to develop their well‐established in‐house training into a diploma of higher education. This study draws on evidence from documentary analysis, participant observation and semi‐structured interviews of the major stakeholders in the programme over a period of two years. It explores the motivation of the partners for engaging in collaborative curriculum development both at an individual and institutional level and the principles underlying their cooperation. The findings offer insights on the perceived benefits of collaborative partnerships on a number of dimensions and concludes by proposing a model that could underpin and enhance collaborative partnerships in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservative and Liberal Democrat policies for higher education funding in the 2010 general election campaign offered voters a stark choice -- with one party willing to consider raising the cap on undergraduate fees, while the other publicly committed to removing any student contribution. It is not surprising therefore that this was an area in which they found it impossible to agree a firm position as part of their coalition agreement (Cabinet Office, 2010). When parliament later voted on higher education funding, the view of the larger party prevailed and the cap on fees almost trebled to £9,000. The Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister took responsibility for launching a National Scholarship Programme (NSP), providing financial support to undergraduates from lower-income backgrounds, to be introduced at the same time as the increase in fees. While this may have offered limited political credibility to his party, the structure of the scheme was criticized from the outset, and it ceased to operate after just three cohorts of students. This paper identifies the political and policy drivers behind the NSP. It explores the need for compromise in the context of the Coalition Government and the drive to embed a dimension of 'fairness' into policy change. From an analysis of the NSP's implementation, evolution, and ultimate closure, we consider the extent to which fairness can, and cannot, successfully be promoted through the design of undergraduate fees and financial support, an objective that was espoused by politicians responsible for the introduction of £1,000, £3,000 and, ultimately, £9,000 fees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently a number of studies have focused on states' adoptions of postsecondary-specific policies. Cutting across much of this research is the presence and influence of interstate diffusion of policy adoptions, a phenomenon for which support is scant. This paper seeks to address this through broadening the categorization of policies beyond the discrete form traditionally used to one that encompasses a larger conception of "finance policy." Our sample uses 131 finance innovations for 47 states over a 29 year period, finding that upon broadening our definition, we can detect the process of diffusion. However, the findings are striking, showing that while states do learn from one another, the process is dynamic and shifts across time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I analyse the history of teacher education in Australia from 1974 to the current policy moment in which questions are increasingly being asked about the quality of teaching and teacher education. Teacher education is, and has been, a highly scrutinised domain in Australia. Since the 1970s, we have seen more than 100 reviews of teacher education in Australia, with another one recently announced in 2014. I focus on three phases in the growth and development of teacher education in the past 40 years by considering the ways in which teacher education (and teaching) has been thought about at various points in time and analysing the related policies for funding governance and regulation. I finish by focusing on the current policy moment in Australia which is positioning teacher education as a ‘policy problem’ requiring a national solution and consider the role of research in, on and for, teacher education into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Within the tradition of studies on the use or influence of research, this paper presents work on the relation between research and policy, based on the evaluation of higher education. The results show that educational research in Mexico has influenced the political agenda, by including arguments and reorienting debate, and even by modifying initiatives and programs; contributing factors have been the type of research, as well as the assumption or expansion of academic roles into circles of political decision-making. The report also identifies traits of interaction between researchers and government employees, while contributing to the comprehension of the use of research by weighing some of the involved elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, 15 years into a new political order, higher education institutions are under pressure to create and sustain the conditions necessary for the consolidation of democracy. One of the more important of these conditions is the need to shift their academic staff profiles in ways that are more representative of a diverse democracy. This process is mediated by legislative and policy reforms that have as their aims the establishment of a more diverse community of academics (see, inter alia: White Paper, 1997; Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998; National Plan for Higher Education, 2001). While much current thinking is at the macro-level and focused on narrow human resource aspects related to “getting the numbers right,” there is limited research on what happens in the daily experiences of faculty. This article draws on a research project conducted at five universities in South Africa in order to explore how academics in their everyday micro-practices of governance, teaching, and research respond to this external systemic pressure. The findings are considered in terms of their implications for the democratization process, in relation to issues of governance, fairness, and trust, at the levels both of institutions and of society as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the social policies' main topics in modern societies is the university studies. It is not irrelevant to the policy maker that university students are the new voters. But the birth of the universities in the Middle Age was the result of students and teachers rebelliousness against the power of the State. The reason of this paradox is the difference between the objective of university education then and now. This paper is an approach to the libertarian point of view of university education. An explanation of the present inefficiency is analysed, mainly from a historical perspective, together with a mid-term forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factual evidence is a necessary precondition for efficient creation of any public policy, and education policies are not an exception. This paper portrays changes in participation, completion, duration and structure of fee regimes in Croatian tertiary education system, based upon the data collected by Croatian Central Bureau of Statistics. During the past two decades Croatian higher education system went through the greatest transformation in last fifty years. Considerable massification and commercialization of tertiary education ensued. Both processes reached their full pace well before adoption of the Bologna process, and are most visible in professional studies, and academic courses in business, economics and law faculties. Despite expansion of system and prolongation of average study duration, completion rate has somewhat increased during the past decade. Taken together, this was reflected as considerable increase in number of students and proportion of cohort that successfully completes tertiary education. Though, with about 40% of students failing to graduate, Croatia still lags behind majority of EU and OECD countries, both with regard to proportion of cohort which graduates and number of students who drop out of tertiary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years, marketisation-focused public policies have significantly transformed higher education systems worldwide. In developing countries that do not have public universities, there has been a reduction of public financing and the expansion of private institutions. In Brazil, one of the main developing countries in the world context, such changes caused a rapid quantitative expansion in the number of students registered. However, the impact of such policies on the quality of the higher education system in the country is still unknown. There are questions about the real quality of higher education and about the effects of the markets in the improvement of the system quality. This paper describes a study of the development of the quality in the Brazilian higher education system, from 1994 to 2003, which was elaborated from a conceptual model of quality and from an international performance-indicator system. The results of this study indicate that marketisation policies in developing countries did not promote an improvement of the quality or the maximisation of the social benefits of higher education. In the period studied, no clear evidence of improvement in relevance, diversity, equity and effectiveness were found in the Brazilian higher education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]