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Editorial. Introduces articles in the September 2003 issue of 'Compare' journal. Influence of national and international policy agendas on educational institution; Response of universities in China to the phenomena of globalization and internationalization; Influence of the policies of the World Bank on technical education in Greece in the 1960s and 1970s.

The authors discusses the various papers presented at the eighth United Kingdom Forum for International education and Training (UKFIET) Oxford Conference on Education and Development last year. The papers shed light on reconceptualization of private sector schooling provision. The article presents a variety of approaches for understanding private school education and education provision privatization in developing countries.

A number of trends have led development cooperation agencies to embrace the idea of becoming 'knowledge agencies', more efficient and effective users of knowledge both internally and in their work with their recipients/partners. At the same time, agencies have become fascinated with the role that knowledge can play in national development strategies. This paper seeks to highlight some of the unresolved tensions that emerge from this new agency area of interest. In so doing, it will focus on the case of the Department for International Development (DFID), the British development cooperation agency. In common with many other agencies, DFID has been developing its own policy for better internal knowledge management. At the same time, through its research strategy and support to the Global Development Network, DFID is developing its own theory/practice of how it should support partner countries' knowledge generation and dissemination. Through an analysis of key DFID texts, supported by interviews and reflections on participation in virtual and real discussion forums, this paper suggests a number of challenges for DFID's knowledge strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As South Africa enters the Mbeki Presidency so the fortunes of the country are thrown into sharp relief. One of the central elements determining South Africa's short- to medium-term future will be the success of educational transformation, particularly when it is directed to addressing issues of equity and economic development. This paper explores the 1998 reforms of the further education and training system in the context of broader questions of educational and economic transformation in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue is the third collection of papers Compare has published from the 2003 UKFIET/Oxford conference on The State of Education: Quantity, Quality and Outcomes . The papers presented here were originally given in the Education and Decentralisation symposium organised by Caroline Dyer, Mark Poston and David Theobald, and in the Michael Crossley and Keith Holmes symposium on Culture, Context and the Quality of Education . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a conceptual evaluation of primary assessment policy and the policy process in the Republic of Ireland. It considers, in particular, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's policy document, A Programme for Reform: curriculum and assessment policy towards the new century and within that, the policy statement, The Curriculum at Primary Level: programme development and pupil assessment and it also refers to the primary teachers' union stance on assessment. It critically evaluates the Irish policy position on assessment in the light of recent literature in this field. The main argument of the paper is that the proposed policy is preoccupied with measurement issues and it does not sufficiently recognise the complexity of implementing formative assessment. The paper also seeks to explain the nature of current policy in Ireland with reference to the decision-making process and comparisons with other systems outside Ireland, particularly England/Wales, are made, where appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the selection of papers from the highly successful 7th Oxford International Conference on Education and Development in 2003 in England. Focus on methodological concerns in comparative and international educational research; Importance of valuing the distinctiveness of one's own knowledge and culture; Link of the knowledge and information revolution with globalization.

Addresses some of the policy and research implications of lifelong learning in the European Union (EU). Incremental development of policies toward education and training; Emergence of lifelong learning on the policy agenda of the EU since 1990; Analysis of the 1995 White Paper on education and training.

This paper draws upon a case study of education in the small Caribbean state of Saint Lucia (population 154,000) to examine how local knowledge and values can influence the education policy process. It is argued that recent research development initiatives have strengthened the ability of Saint Lucia to mediate international education agendas to suit its distinctive `social ecology' and circumstances as a small state. Saint Lucians, it is argued, are reconceptualizing educational research in ways that better reflect the society's Kwéyòl-majority culture, oral traditions and postcolonial context. The boundaries of educational research are therefore being stretched to incorporate local knowledge and values and multiple modes of meaning-making. The paper argues that increased recognition of the epistemological issues and cultural values that are at the heart of efforts to strengthen research capacity can play a crucial role in democratizing the education policy process and educational research itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread worker displacement is an increasing phenomenon in industrialized countries. Whether the result of globalization, increased technology or resource depletion, large numbers of people are being permanently displaced from work. The problem is more severe in regions where the unemployment base centres on a single industry or resource. In such areas there is often little chance of re-employment. This paper considers government-initiated programs developed in response to widespread worker displacement. It does so within the context of my doctoral dissertation research, which is nearing fieldwork completion. The paper introduces the problem of widespread worker displacement. It considers two government programs developed to address need resulting from the closure of the Northern Cod fishery on Canada's Atlantic coast and the decline of the mining industry in England. The paper then discusses post-industrialism and post-Fordism as a framework through which to view the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Focuses on the clippings and special issues published in Compare. Reflection on the theme of poverty, power and partnerships; Review on the clippings by editors; Features on the proposed development of second paper by Catherine Odara-Hoppers.

Presents an introduction to the articles and topics discussed in the December, 2004 issue of the journal "Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education."

This paper explores the cultural and economic strategies of educated but un/under-employed young Muslim men aged between 20 and 34 in a village in western Uttar Pradesh, north India. Drawing on Connell's gender theory, the paper demonstrates how economic and political forces shape Muslim young men's strategies. The paper distinguishes between 'school-educated' men, some of whom had studied in madrasahs for long periods, and the 'madrasah-educated'. Concentrating on school-educated men, we discuss their perceptions of education, and how these relate to their search for a respectable masculinity and what they regard as 'good work'. We also show how uneducated Muslim young men with alternative visions of education criticise the strategies of their educated peers. We use this account of Muslim young men's practices to emphasise the value of a culturally sensitive political economy approach to the analysis of threatened masculinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is argued in this paper that comparative pedagogy has a useful and relevant role to play in initial teacher training in England. The paper illustrates the national decline in the provision of a comparative dimension in both the study of education and in teacher training with a historical review of curricula in institutes in the Bristol area. Reasons for the decline are explored. Arguments are put forward to support the inclusion of comparative pedagogy in initial teacher training. It is held that comparative pedagogy is relevant to teachers whose careers may take them into pluricultural classrooms or across national boundaries, as well as teachers whose careers may be limited to monocultural classrooms. An empirical study is included, which explores the positive impact of comparative pedagogy on a small group of postgraduate primary English teacher trainees with a specialism in French. Their experience suggests that comparative pedagogy can give all trainee teachers a deeper understanding of pedagogy in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of this paper is to interrogate the author's position as a white, Western expatriate during her time as a lecturer in Botswana. The approach is to analyse different texts, some of which are semi-formal but which reveal how our cultures and subjectivities are shaped by, and shape how, we view the 'other' across cultural divides. By situating the issues raised by this interrogation in a wider postcolonial framework I attempt to highlight some of the tensions, contradictions and internalised patterns of behaviour which contribute to contemporary neo-colonial discourses for growth and development in educational settings. In particular, as Michael Crossley has argued, I emphasise the dangers of uncritical international transfer and the consequences of not sufficiently addressing issues of culture and context in wider development policies. In presenting this paper I draw on contributions from two colleagues from the University of Botswana who have helped me to understand my own limitations of awareness whilst living and teaching in a formerly colonised nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper's principal purpose is to explore the range of ways in which African universities act as public institutions - i.e. how they both are shaped by and influence the social, political and economic contexts in which they are situated. In particular, it considers the multiple dimensions, often resulting in tensions in contexts of poverty, instability and radical transformation, of African universities as actors in politics, civil society and the public sphere. Drawing on recent projects and discussions in which the author took part, the paper tries in particular to explain how the degraded state of most universities in the region which began in the late 1970s and into the 1980s should not be taken to mean that they had become irrelevant to the societies and polities in which they were embedded. Examples are offered of how higher education institutions, and especially the major public universities (often of colonial origin), have often remained key sites for upward mobility strategies, critique and mobilisation on behalf of political change even in the face of authoritarian and corrupt regimes, in contexts of weakened national economies, and even when higher education (primarily encapsulated in public universities) fell out of favour of multilateral and bilateral cooperation agencies. In conclusion, the paper discusses current initiatives by international donors and development agencies to revitalise higher education in Africa, and ensure an 'expansion of tertiary institutions constructed as sites for personal advancement and private benefit' (The World Bank 2002) and how their managerial and cost-effective orientations may thin out the crucial public good dimension of African universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the quality and development of relations between organisations and the ways in which these are informed by incidental learning experiences in two projects. The paper conceptualizes instances of inter-organisational learning (IOL) applying theories such as principal-agent, prisoners' dilemma and women's place in community development. The main results are (a) that IOL can be used to maintain and modify relations of control and dominance in partnership hierarchies; (b) that IOL serves as a spin-off of horizontal relationships and can be increased or reduced in the competition between partners for resources and identity; and (c) that IOL at the community level, when delivering outsiders' intervention, can be promoted by involving local authorities and operating within the existing household hierarchy. The paper shows that the influential role of individuals, beyond organisational boundaries, becomes critical through social networks and the establishment of trust-based relations and resistance to learning as consequences of personal conflict. However, structural constraints in the aid system, such as asymmetric access to resources, expertise, knowledge, status and networks, ultimately determine the quality of funding management schemes and the emergence of an environment that stimulates mutual individual learning, which in turn may lead to organisational learning and inter-organisational learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the work of Bourdieu, this paper analyses how far formal education within a revolutionary setting can act as a 'strategy-generating' institution in terms of enabling women to aspire to and achieve goals they would not even have envisaged pre-revolution. In making its case, it draws on the examples of three revolutionary societies: Vietnam (since 1976), Nicaragua (1979-1990) and Eritrea (since 1991). It is argued that even though not eliminating gender as a discriminatory marker, education indeed creates room for personal emancipation. While this could equally be achieved by openings within a neo-liberal setting, a strong focus on fostering social cohesion makes educational policies in revolutionary societies different. The paper ends by arguing that revolutionary states can offer valuable lessons for education as a source of social equity. It advocates to newly consider what type of state supports what kind of education system and for what purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where some of the papers in this volume deal with nation building in the democratizing former East European states in the wider ideological context of liberal democratic thought, this paper aims to present a view of democracy and democratization from an alternative, 'Asian' perspective. South East Asian nations, such as Singapore, have attempted to articulate and practise forms of 'Asian' democracy as a response to, and in rejection of, Western liberal democratic models. In these countries, there is not so much a programme of reform and liberalization, as an attempt to evolve a form of democracy suited to an 'Asian' society. To this end, efforts have been made by political leaders to articulate what 'Asian' values are, and Singapore will be used as an example of how a government has promoted a set of values regarded to be congruent with their form of 'Asian' democracy. By examining the history texts in Singapore, and comparing the different contexts in which European and 'Asian' values are embedded and used, the paper will elucidate the ways in which the nature of 'Asian' values and democracy differ from that of those advocated in Europe, and the implications of this for citizenship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with processes of international enquiry. It focuses upon the relationship between a research problem and access to conduct research in a country. It uses data from an ethnographic study of primary education in a Northern Indian District. Conceptually drawing upon the insider-outsider debate within the sociology of knowledge, the paper raises issues about the relationship between the research problem, accessing knowledge and being an outsider to a research setting. It considers problems facing a particular form of outsider - a foreigner. The paper maintains that when researchers who are outsiders embark on designing research in non-western international educational settings, then questions considering the relationship between the research problem, access strategies and the culture of the research setting are vital. Grappling with such questions allows for the development and promotion of new forms of partnership, alongside a deeper understanding of culture and context, when developing comparative and international research policy agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between formal education and national identities is widely acknowledged. Empirical research on national and supranational identities of teachers, however, is still relatively rare. Whilst a number of studies consider the special population of teachers, these contributions do not consistently focus on national and supranational identities. Based on a case study of 72 trainee teachers from Baden‐Württemberg (Germany), the present paper looks at the reconcilability of national and European identities and explores notions of the European Union in terms of cultural and geographical inclusiveness. Findings on the case study level are considered in their own right, but also compared to findings on the regional, national and European level, using relevant Eurobarometer survey data. The article shows that high levels of attachment to nation and high levels of attachment to Europe do not have to be mutually exclusive. It also demonstrates that, for most trainee teachers, the European Union constitutes a culturally and geographically inclusive institution that is supposed to stand for cultural diversity, peace, freedom and respect of human rights. Through comparisons that go beyond the case study level, the paper recognises the importance of regional and national contexts. Nonetheless, it argues that some of its findings are likely to be relevant for studies of national and European identities across different European societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Highlights the 5th Oxford International Conference on Education and Development sponsored by the British Association for International and Comparative Education in England. Theme of the conference; Participants of the event; Keynote speaker of the congress.

This paper examines discourses and developments of the knowledge economy and learning society in Australia and New Zealand. It outlines the international context of the rise of the knowledge‐based economy and sets the New Zealand and Australian debates against this backdrop. A current heightened emphasis on education and learning in both countries is closely aligned with the key imperatives of economic development and competitiveness. Older models of the learning society based more on cultural and humanistic aspirations remain evident and competitive with economic models. Prospects for further innovative development in education and learning across the life course, and across a broader population in democratic societies are considered. The paper concludes that notwithstanding the current influence of singularly economic discourses shaping conceptions of the learning economy and society there is no definitive or triumphant model of the learning society prevailing in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role that vocational education and training (VET) can play in Southern African responses to major socio‐economic challenges. It argues that this role will be most pronounced if it is articulated within a broader educational and economic vision that is shared by a range of stakeholders in society and supported by an adequate funding base, effective information systems and qualified and motivated planners and implementers. However, it cautions that it is also important to remember that VET reform will not in itself transform economies or societies. The paper argues that there is considerable convergence within Southern Africa around 10 themes of VET reform. It argues that there is much that is of merit in the current broad package for VET transformation but that it is essential that it is carefully critiqued and that elements are adapted to national circumstances and visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically reviews the ways in which the policy of education decentralisation in post-apartheid South Africa results in both forms of inclusion and new forms of exclusion. Drawing on a two-year research project carried out in three provinces in South Africa, it shows how in the governance of schools, new forms of exclusion are being generated. It thus throws into sharp relief the policy effects of education decentralisation in South Africa, illuminating through case study data the disjuncture between policy intention and effect. It argues for the need to re-examine some aspects of post-apartheid education policy given the historical apartheid legacy. It suggests that often, in practice, policies of education decentralisation may exacerbate rather than reduce inequities in society; they may exclude more than include. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores private educational provision in the context of the decentralisation of education management in Indonesia. It provides an overview of the extent and nature of private provision and explores the nature of the interrelationship between private and government schools. The predominance of private provision at secondary level, rising demand for secondary schooling and national financial constraints will mean that private schools continue to play a major role in Indonesia for the foreseeable future. This paper argues that the sector warrants greater consideration from government and donor alike as an issue of both financial propriety and social equity. If the government is to increase educational participation and address issues of efficiency and social equity then policy sensitivity is required to ensure educational provision which is geographically rational and equitable, and promotes complementarity and not competition between government and private provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of educational reform has been increasing significantly at the global level and teachers have significant roles to play in such reform movements. This paper compares the beginning teacher identity of primary teacher trainees in Trinidad and Tobago with the concept of the teacher that seems to underpin present reform initiatives. Beginning teacher identity, explored through the use of a questionnaire and interviews, is portrayed as images and metaphors. It seems to encapsulate the missionary ideology of teaching and the notion of child-centred pedagogy, with the classroom as the centre of interaction between pupil and teacher. The reforms, on the other hand, look to teachers to support, as well, the decentralisation effort that calls for collaboration with the community, and the promotion of continuous assessment practices that calls for collaboration across grade levels in the school. Both the community focus and the school focus are likely to pose problems for beginning teachers who maintain a classroom focus. The paper highlights the need for reform efforts to take into account the gaps between existing teacher identity images and those envisioned for the reformed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the democratisation of education in South Africa within the context of the policy of educational decentralisation with regards to key policy texts, namely, the South African Schools Act (SASA) and the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF). It begins by exploring the concept of decentralisation with specific reference to the notions of democratisation and participation. This leads to an examination of these concepts within the South African context. The final section examines the policy impact of participation and democratisation in relation to the powers and functions of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) by considering four illustrative examples, namely, religion, language, admissions and teacher employment. The paper concludes by considering the policy gap between policy rhetoric and practice in relation to attempts to entrench democracy and participation, and enhance participation at the school level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a critical appraisal of citizenship and governance in relation to gender. It draws on poststructuralist themes which look at the relationship between power and discourse. This perspective provides an analytical tool for exploring how gender has been understood in the construction of citizenship and governance values in Europe. Whilst the focus of this discussion is gender, the implications of this analysis for disability and race are also highlighted. The paper argues for a broader, more inclusive, ethical definition of active citizenship that, in turn, will influence how people learn to be citizens and take part in governance. A selected literature identifies different ways in which citizenship is portrayed and learned through texts, schooling, family and social behaviours and traditions. The changing European and globalisation contexts provide additional commentary on the demands for new forms of citizenship and governance. Particular attention is paid to the notion of active citizenship with some recent interpretations of the dichotomy between private (family) and public (political) domains in relation to citizenship and gender. The final sections then analyse different attempts to re-define a gender sensitive concept of citizenship, concluding with the argument for an ethical education which would empower women to play a more active, citizen role in governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper might be described as a case study, depicting the process of vision development for a new institution of teacher education, established in a time of political transition for Hong Kong. The focus is on issues of cultural identity, and the first part of the article lays out a framework for civilizational dialogue in the post Cold War period. Next the context of educational development is analysed, including the emergence of this new institution, and the demands placed upon it to support a range of educational reforms after Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. The third part of the paper describes the process of developing a vision statement, and the ideas that informed it. The fourth part provides a careful look at four of the nine guiding values chosen for the Institute, showing the particular shape they give to the development of the vision, and the ways in which they are linked to the dialogue of civilizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the differential distribution of opportunities for professional development of science teachers in post-apartheid South Africa. It is argued that northern/western ideas about teacher change and development are poorly suited to modelling practices and challenges for those who were historically disadvantaged. The environment in which teachers work-physical, social and political-act to select a more limited repertoire of behaviour than those providing in-service might imagine. The paper proposes that evolutionary ideas on teacher change and development offer a more effective model of the constraints under which teachers work. These ideas have general application to educational systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The implications for policy are a need to research current practices more thoroughly and to facilitate change through modest steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares approaches to curriculum specialisation in secondary education in New Zealand and England. In both countries there have been movements towards increased specialisation, though these have been quite different in form and scope. In both countries specialisation cannot be divorced from broader education policies designed to increase devolution and choice and the paper discusses these contexts before analysing the different approaches to specialisation and attempting an explanation. The authors draw on findings from research undertaken in New Zealand schools. The paper identifies three dimensions that have played a part in influencing curriculum specialisation in both countries. These are opportunity, source of impetus and support. It is argued that while local initiative is possible in New Zealand, central planning and guidance is inadequate. In England while central planning is strong and support is available, it is far from clear that real specialisation is encouraged by existing curriculum and assessment frameworks. In these circumstances in both countries it seems likely that vertical, rather than horizontal, diversity will continue to hold sway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of knowledge production and legitimation at the University of Cyprus. The problem is examined against the background of extant theory on the relationships between universities of the 'center' and those of the 'periphery' and, more specifically, of the theory about the conflict between centrality and localism, as this is experienced by peripheral universities that aspire for centrality. The theory about the specific factors affecting higher education policy in small states also forms part of the theoretical framework of the paper. The University of Cyprus is proposed as a case study, as it differs in several important ways from the widely studied Asian and African universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces articles related to education contained in the June 2004 issue of "Compare."

The article introduces various reports published within the issue including one by Nancy Kendall and Chloe O'Gara on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and schools in Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, one by Tin-yau Lo on nationalism and globalization in schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and one by Matthias Pilz on Vocational Education and Training (VET) reforms in Switzerland and Shanghai.

Presents an introductory statement to the September 2005 issue of "Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education."

Editorial. Introduces research on education and teaching, published in the volume 32 of the 'Compare' journal. Response from Caroline Vincent and Dougal Hutchison to the article on birth date effects in schooling by Gillian McDonald; Inclusion of abstracts completed by students of the BAICE; Raf Vanderstraeten's paper that uses the concept of pillarisation as a schema around which to conceptualise differentiation within the Belgian and Dutch education systems.

Little conclusive evidence is available on the relationship between teacher gender and student achievement. However, a great emphasis has been placed on hiring more female teachers, both internationally and in India. Given this context, this paper investigates the relationship between student learning outcomes and the presence of women teachers in Indian classrooms. Our analysis shows that male and female teachers differ in terms of their classroom management practices and their belief in students' learning ability. In partial support of the policy of hiring more female teachers, it also shows that being in a female teacher's classroom is advantageous for language learning but teacher gender has no effect on mathematics learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the complex relationships between gender, education, extremism and security. After defining extremism and fundamentalism, it looks first at the relationship of gender to violence generally, before looking specifically at how this plays out in more extremist violence and terrorism. Religious fundamentalism is also shown to have gendered concerns. The paper concludes with drawing together the educational implications of these analyses, arguing for a politicised education to promote both national and personal security. Five components are proposed: acceptance of ambiguity rather than absolutism and single truths; a secular basis in human rights; breaking down 'otherness'; reconciliation rather than revenge; and free speech and humour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until relatively recently, educational research in developing countries has focused mainly on issues of access for addressing gender inequalities in education. This paper argues that challenging patriarchal relations in schooling and education requires moving beyond access to understanding the ways the curriculum acts as a set of discursive practices which position girls and boys unequally and differently constitute them as gendered and nationalised/ist subjects. Using curriculum texts from Pakistan, the paper explores how gender and national identities intersect in a dynamic way in the processes of schooling. The paper illustrates the ideological power of both curriculum and school experiences in fashioning the reciprocal performance and construction of gender and national identities in Pakistan. It contends that in its current form, education is a means of maintaining, reproducing and reinforcing the gender hierarchies that characterise Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last three decades, rights-based approaches (RBA) to development have become a part of the fabric of a number of international development agencies' work. Using RBA raises important questions around notions of universal rights and how these are contested and negotiated in local settings. The field of gender and education is no exception, and what achieving gender equity through education really means in local contexts, in terms of working on girls' rights to, through and within education is a thorny area. Drawing on four months of field-based research with a non-governmental organisation using a rights-based approach to education in rural Niger, this paper attempts to explore the way in which RBA - and understandings of gender and education in relation to rights - impact on feminist notions of the universal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the New Policy Agenda, international development institutions have promoted non-profit organizations (NPOs) in developing countries, on a dual logic: firstly, they deliver social services more efficiently than the state; secondly, they mitigate equity concerns around privatization of basic social services by reaching out to the poor. Based on a survey of twenty prominent non-profit education providers in Pakistan, this paper illustrates that the NPO sector is not monolithic: non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the education sector under the patronage of international donors follow markedly different models of education provision to those of Traditional Voluntary Organizations (TVOs) reliant on domestic donations. While the social service ethos of the TVOs makes them distinct from the private sector, it is not the case with the NGOs: their model of education provision, rather than meeting the education needs of the poor, ends up cultivating markets for the private sector among poor communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study that explored issues of curriculum continuity at the school to university level transition in Malawi. It bases its analysis on the school integrated science curriculum and university science and technology programmes. Data were collected through interviews, documentation and classroom observations. The findings show that gaps do exist, with both the 'intended' and the 'experienced' curriculum, between integrated science and the requirements of university science and technology programmes in the three categories of the knowledge of science, science as a way of knowing and general knowledge and skills. With respect to the investigative nature of science, gaps exist only with the delivered curriculum. Implications for both the integrated science curriculum and the university science and technology programmes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the learning of young people involved in learning a trade in Senegal, West Africa. Fieldwork took place at two contrasting sites, one a workshop where young men were apprenticed to a tailor and the other a vocational training centre where young women were also learning tailoring. The research addresses the relationship between the formal skills of literacy and numeracy and the practical skills involved in learning a trade in the two different settings and raises the issue of what constitutes successful learning in these vocational contexts. Observation, interviews and some specially designed activities were used to probe the way that the young people engaged with scripted materials. The article suggests that the formal educational experience was less important than the relevance of the activities to the young people's current and prospective vocational identities. Learning thus emerges as social practice rather than a purely cognitive activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching-research nexus has been studied by many researchers, mainly looking at pedagogic links and direct benefits arising from the interaction of both activities. The paper takes a comparative approach, looking at the relationship between teaching and research in four universities from two different countries. This paper argues that contextual factors are vital in shaping the nature of the relationship and also identifies differences between disciplines in how these contextual factors may be understood. In particular, the contrasting structural and political contexts provided by two different national settings are seen to have a crucial role in shaping institutional activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers issues related to integration in education, specifically those related to the integration of ethnic/religious populations in conflict. The case study we will use is the educating together of Catholic and Protestant children and Palestinian and Jewish children in two troubled societies, Northern Ireland and Israel, where children are normally kept segregated within the education system. Using a multi-theoretical approach the paper presents data collected in a parallel study of principals, policy makers and stakeholders in the two contexts. Whilst there are striking similarities between integrated education in Northern Ireland and Israel there are also clear differences around the management of pupil diversity which are critically teased out in the paper. It is argued that a cross-fertilization of theoretical perspectives is necessary both to analyse integrated school settings and to support those involved in these ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the incidence and determinants of overeducation in the Belgian private sector. Two different approaches are used to define overeducation by means of data on characteristics of employees and employers. Using the 1995 Structure of Earnings Survey, between 22% and 24% of the workforce is found to be overeducated. Results support the idea that employers view labour market experience as a substitute for formal education. They also show that male workers and people employed in state-owned firms are less affected by overeducation. Further results suggest that the size of the establishment has a very weak (negative) impact on overeducation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction to papers on education and identity formation in post-cold war Eastern Europe and Asia that appear in this periodical.

This paper analyses Kazakhstan's new generation literature textbooks for Kazakh-medium schools, with a focus on national identity and citizenship constructs that the revised textbooks promote. By comparing the literature textbooks of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, the paper discusses Soviet institutional and cultural legacies that continue to exist in Kazakhstan's literature curriculum. Implications of the recurrent patterns of nation-building discourse in the literature textbooks for democracy and social cohesion in Kazakhstan are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines portrayals of Russia and the Russians in two generations of Ukrainian history textbooks. It observes that the textbooks are highly condemning of Ukraine's main ethnic other in the guise of foreign ruler: the tsarist authorities and the Soviet regime are always attributed dubious and malicious intentions even if there is appreciation for some of their policies. By contrast, the books, certainly those of the second generation, refrain from presenting highly biased accounts of the ethnic other as a national group (i.e. Russians). Instances where negative judgements do fall onto Russians are counterbalanced by excerpts criticizing ethnic Ukrainians or highlighting conflicting interests within the Ukrainian ethnic group. The negative appraisal of the ethnic other as foreign ruler is clearly instrumental for the nation-building project as it sustains a discourse legitimating the existence of Ukraine as independent state. However, recent trends in history education, the paper concludes, suggest that the importance of nurturing patriotism as a national policy objective is diminishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]