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This followup study traced the progress of one program assisting Jewish Ethiopian immigrants to Israel and their children, the Parents Cooperative Kindergarten (PCK) in Beer-Sheva, and examined its impact 10 years after program participation. The PCK was a daily program for young children run by paraprofessional counselors, all women from the Ethiopian community, with mothers attending on a rotational basis. Two groups of former participants were identified, along with two groups of children of Ethiopian origin of similar age from the same neighborhoods who had not participated and one group of children of the same age who were not of Ethiopian origin. Data collection methods included interviews of children and their parents, and teacher ratings of childrens scholastic and social abilities, achievement, and parent-school relationships. The main areas in which differences were found between PCK children and the comparison groups were in the organization of their activities and thinking, their activeness and initiative-taking, their perception of studies and school, the importance of home and family, their sense of belonging to the Ethiopian community, their ability to express emotion, and the nature of their social interactions. A majority of PCK children were rated by their teachers as having high scholastic ability, moderate to high scholastic achievement, and moderate to very high verbal skills. However, compared to the comparison group, a majority of the same children were perceived as not showing an interest or investing any effort in their studies, as not fully using their ability, and as not being interested in getting help or getting ahead. Mothers who participated in the kindergarten gained insights into the Israeli education system and its approach to organization and schedules, and learned different methods of disciplining their children. It was concluded that participation in the kindergarten had a long-term effect on the lives of both children and parents. (Contains 31 references.) (KB)

This document offers 19 case studies that show how people across the United States have kept historic schools as vital parts of their communities. The case studies address the most important challenges to the continued use of historic schools as educational facilities. They offer concise summaries of information that architects, contractors, and school administrators have shared with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and they describe projects that illustrate reasonable solutions to: building code compliance, structural problems, deferred maintenance, mechanical-HVAC upgrades, safety issues, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, integration of 21st-century technology, adaptation to modern educational programmatic needs, and sympathetic additions to historic structures. Contact information provided in each "success story" gives school facility decision makers and neighborhood preservationists the opportunity to talk directly with experts who have overcome vexing problems in school rehabilitation. The schools profiled are: (1) St. Helena Elementary School, St. Helena, California; (2) Portland Middle School, Portland, Connecticut; (3) The Thomas A. Edison Charter School, Wilmington, Delaware; (4) William McKinley High School, Honolulu, Hawaii; (5) Boise High School, Boise, Idaho; (6) Evergreen Academy, Chicago, Illinois; (7) William H. Ray Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois; (8) Carl Schurz High School, Chicago, Illinois; (9) The Shakespeare School, Chicago, Illinois; (10) East Boston High School, Boston, Massachusetts; (11) Fairhaven High School, Fairhaven, Massachusetts; (12) Sidney Pratt School and Community Education Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; (13) Edward Lee McClain High School, Greenfield, Ohio; (14) Logan Elementary School, Columbia, South Carolina; (15) St. Louis School, Castroville, Texas; (16) Woodrow Wilson High School, Dallas, Texas; (17) Appomattox Regional Governor's School, Petersburg, Virginia; (18) St. Andrew's School, Richmond, Virginia; and (19) Latona Elementary School, Seattle, Washington. (EV)

In spite of the development of medical services in Asian countries, mental illness and mental health services remain a stigma. An awareness of the causes and consequences of mental illness is also lacking. Since the 1990s, much work has been done in Malaysia to advance the people's concepts about the scientific approach to mental illness and to promote clinical psychology. The first master's program in clinical psychology was started in 1994. The trend of visiting traditional healers is changing, and a more systematic and scientific approach is emerging. This paper presents counseling techniques that can be used with patients transitioning from the traditional into the modern world of medicine. (JDM)

State-sponsored preferential policies for ethnic minorities in the People's Republic of China are among the world's oldest and largest programs, encompassing approximately 110 million people and 55 different minority groups. This paper examines the minority policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1949 to the present, from the perspective of modernization theory, the dominant discourse of economic development during the 1950s and 1960s. The paper gives particular attention to Chinese policies for minority education and a discussion of minority religious and language policies is undertaken to provide a broader context of the position of the government toward minorities. It examines the ways in which the CCP has implemented these policies in its efforts toward modernization. Contains a 26-item bibliography. (BT)

Tribal cultures in South India are extremely varied. This paper examines different indicators of modernization, such as the degree of urbanization and the spread of literacy among the tribes, focusing on how modernization affects the tribal mind set and how this awareness is reflected in various processes of acculturation (e.g., claiming one's mother tongue identity through the ancestral language or switching over to the dominant language in the region). The paper also examines attitudes of indigenous people toward acquiring contact languages for intra-tribal, inter-tribal, and tribal-nontribal communications. It highlights certain issues relevant to nation-building, such as relations between the individual, community, culture, and state, correlating them to the newly crystallized consciousness among indigenous peoples enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The paper notes that most studies on tribal languages focus on the taxonomies of language classification, language borrowing, and relations between languages based on majority and minority status, and most developmental programs for indigenous peoples are influenced by a perspective inherited from colonial anthropology. It stresses that all human conglomerations (primitive as well as contemporary) have a unique, space-and-time-bound ethos, and indigenous heritages must be respected on their own terms, rather than absorbed into the mainstream. (Contains 23 references.) (SM)

An evaluation (involving questionnaires, telephone interviews, focus groups, site visits, e-mail questions, and lab observation) assessed the success in implementing a statewide technology plan for adult literacy programs in Massachusetts that grew out of a set of recommendations developed by the Massachusetts Adult Literacy Technology Team (MALTT), an ad hoc group of practitioners. The evaluation generated lessons about use of technology in adult literacy programs. Findings indicated: a well-developed technology infrastructure throughout the adult basic education (ABE) system; a significant level of access to and use of computer technology and a wide variety of related software by adult learners and program staff; a significant level of Internet access among ABE programs; a great deal of interest among staff and learners to expand their use of technology; two significant barriers (time and cost) to effective use of technology for learners, teachers, and administrative staff; a need for best practice models and technical assistance; a significant level of training and staff development among adult literacy staff; development, refinement, and implementation of SMARTT, a statewide student data and outcome tracking system; and a need to explore opportunities for technology-related funding. Among recommendations were: less focus on hardware acquisition and more of a strategic approach to training, curriculum integration, and maximizing use of existing infrastructure. (YLB)

This paper discusses the role information can play in the development of African countries in the 21st century. It stresses that development information can only be guaranteed when libraries in Africa computerize their systems, form networks for resource sharing, and take advantage of the benefits of information technology (IT), especially CD-ROM and the Internet. An in-depth review of the information management climate of African libraries was made, and this was found to be unfavorable. Problems inhibiting IT application by African libraries include apathy and inadequate government funding, undeveloped information and communication infrastructure, and shortage of technical manpower. Despite the bottlenecks, African libraries need to efficiently and effectively manage information in the 21st century in order to facilitate technology transfer, support education and research, and project Africa's achievements to the rest of the world. Considering the widespread democratization in Africa, blueprints for improved economy, better provision of information infrastructure, and progress already made in IT application and networking, it was established that the chances of African libraries automating their services in the 21st century are very bright. The paper concludes that the challenge for taking positive steps to promote modern information management in the new millennium is not only for African libraries, but for the world at large. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/MES)

An intrinsic part of the transition to a modern market economy in Hungary has been the restructuring of the vocational education and training (VET) system. A positive side effect of the socioeconomic transition is the emergence of human resources development (HRD). The transition process has been successful in the school-based education system, but adult VET faces challenges. Important areas in HRD are creation of a continuing vocational training system and increased integration of disadvantaged groups into VET. A legal and institutional background provides for active involvement of social partners in VET development. Establishment of more effective information systems would lead to more social partner input in development of the qualification structure. Restructuring of the National Register of Vocational Qualifications would contribute to its development in different occupational areas. In the context of Hungary's accession to the European Union, international transparency of qualifications becomes very important. Preparations must begin immediately, starting with development of information systems within institutional structures and covering certificates and content of training programs. (Appendixes include a 25-item bibliography; tables with information on population, labor market, VET, qualification structure, teacher training, and continuing training; and lists of research programs and key legislation on VET.) (YLB)

This paper examines general systems theory as it applies to higher education institutions. Using this approach, the university is viewed as a system (comprised of subsystems) that interacts with the external environment. The first sections of the paper review general systems theory and its application to management, and examine some theoretical applications that can be adapted to higher education institutions. The paper then presents a hypothetical model of a technology subsystem, with faculty, support staff, student services, and libraries as the other subsystems. Central administration is shown as a subsystem to manage and control other systems. The interactions of these subsystems influence the outputs of the university by adding distance education, interactive video conferencing, and computer literate graduates to more traditional outputs. (Contains 19 references.) (CH)

This document presents a 50-state estimate of the need for school modernization in the United States along with recommendations. Key findings show the total funding need for public school modernization is $321.9 billion, and that total funding needed for public modernization varies dramatically across states, ranging from $50.7 billion (New York) to $333 million (Vermont). Recommendations offered for addressing the problem include some states using their current budget surpluses for immediate, productive investments in school modernization; more federal assistance to modernize; adequate funding for teacher education to take full advantage of technology; and state level need assessments and action planning. Appendices provide data tables, a school modernization needs assessment questionnaire, data collection matrixes for school modernization needs assessment, calculation of unmet funding need for education technology, descriptive statistics, and state assessments of school infrastructure and education technology and related materials. (Contains 62 references.) (GR)

This report presents in-depth analysis, pictures, and personal stories illustrating the problems that deteriorated and overcrowded schools pose for students and teachers every day. The Grassroots Factbook provides updated, at-a-glance fact sheets and organizing kits that focus on the major decisions facing communities as the federal budget year progresses. The fact sheets reveal the status of public schools in each state summarizing the extend of school deterioration, the status of school construction, the impact on students and teachers, the communities ability to fund modernization of their schools, and the extent of federal support and legislation. The reports reveal that U.S. public schools have dangerously deteriorated to the point that it will take 50 years to modernize the existing public schools at current spending. Schools are overcrowded, and enrollments are expected to increase over the next 10 years. Communities and states no longer have the resources to address their overcrowded and deteriorated schools and need greater federal participation to rebuild and strengthen the educational infrastructure. Resource information is provided. (GR)

Since the beginning of the 1990s, Slovenia has been catching up with other developed market economies. The economic situation has improved; the unemployment rate has declined. Slovenia's criticism of the 1980s educational reform carried out in Yugoslavia (which included Slovenia until 1991) and continued discussion have led to design of a new education system and necessary reform measures. New legislation for vocational education and training (VET) reform requires new forms of VET, review of all existing VET programs, enhanced teacher training and equipment, and more emphasis on certification as a framework for continuing education. One priority of the Government within VET reform has been to encourage social partnership and transfer part of responsibilities for the system to the partners. Special adaptations of VET to labor market and socioeconomic changes are in the areas of development of national standards and analyses of training needs, curriculum development, assessment and certification, recognition and transparency of qualifications, and teacher and trainer training. Human resource development has been affected by reform in continuing training and management and administrators' training. Foreign assistance in the reform effort has come from the Phare program, Leonardo da Vinci program, European Social Fund, and Phare Cross-Border Cooperation program. (Contains 82 references.) (YLB)

When deciding how to compete in the new global economy, employers can opt for "low-road" strategies such as low wages and no job security. Alternatively, they can choose the "high road" and compete by offering quality goods and services, innovation, and value. Fourteen successful "high-road" partnerships were examined to identify elements likely to lead to successful partnerships, barriers to effectiveness, and tools to help surmount them. The individual partnerships focused on different sectors and involved different stakeholder groups, including unions, educators, employers, community organizations, and government. However, the activities/services provided by the partnerships all fell into the following categories: (1) setting workplace, job, and/or investment standards; (2) workforce development; (3) business services (joint-labor management programs assisting employers with modernization and/or providing financial or similar services); and (4) people services (building good jobs and career paths while helping employers compete and promoting fairer access to economic opportunity). At least initially, partnerships tended to be sectoral or regional. The challenges faced by partnerships typically involved strategic planning and strategic research, building an organization, funding sources, communicating and sharing knowledge, building and strengthening coalitions, and ongoing research. Forty-seven action steps to overcome these challenges were identified. (Profiles of the case study partnerships are appended.) (MN)

The relationship between life history, gender, and the discourse of modernization was examined from the perspective of a researcher with extensive experience performing evaluations about modernization within human services in Denmark. Three stories about site-based management in two human service institutionsa youth center and a boarding school for autistic childrenwere presented to illuminate fragments of the complex condition that modernization represents. One story, which was told by a female superintendent, reflects feelings of skepticism and professional pride and discusses modernization in terms of development. A second story, which was told by a male superintendent, stresses the challenges and criticism encountered during modernization. In analyzing the stories, the author explored the following themes: (1) the discourse of modernization; (2) pre-existing or interpretive narratives; (3) the notion of the dialectical, liberated, and dispersed subject and the various theoretical forms in which life histories emerge; (4) the concepts of subject and surface and their relationship to the discourse of life history and modernization; (5) fluent and fixed icons of life history; (6) lost virginity and floating space as images of modernization; and (7) rituals of passage, storytelling, imagination, and the researcher's voice. (Fourteen endnotes and 27 references are included.) (MN)

This report provides an overview of the state of vocational education and training systems in the Czech Republic, in the context of the history and the present economic development of the country. The report is organized in nine sections that cover the following topics: (1) political and socioeconomic background information, including economic development, demographics, and the labor market; (2) modernization of vocational education and training; (3) human resources development, including the preparation of managers and administrators; (4) research on the labor market and vocational education and training; (5) institutions responsible for the educational system, which is very decentralized; (6) legislation; (7) financing of vocational education and training and continuing training; (8) bilateral and multilateral donors to vocational education and training reform; and (9) constraints, challenges, and future needs. The document also contains a list of acronyms and abbreviations, a list of major organizations involved in vocational education and training in the study, a bibliography listing 70 references, a list of reports and proceedings prepared by the Czech National Observatory, 8 tables, and 14 charts. (KC)

The Latvian economy has undergone major changes during transition to a market economy after regaining independence in 1991. The unfavorable world economic situation has caused its growth to fall below potential. The vocational education and training (VET) system has traditionally been school-based. There are 120 VET institutions with a large network of institutions in all but one district. VET reform is aimed at a self-adapting system that corresponds to labor market needs and ensures opportunities for individuals to acquire knowledge and skills according to lifelong needs and interests. Changes in the existing system would include reform of institutions, institutional network, VET program, VET quality assurance, teacher continuing education, and financing; curriculum development; college education; and comparability and transparency of VET. Financing of VET is based on the curriculum, number of students, and language groups. Educational institutions are financed from state and municipal budgets, tuition paid by individuals or enterprises, and international foundations and programs. Most funding for development comes from international assistance projects. (Appendixes include a glossary; list of 23 major organizations; 15-item bibliography; list of 13 in-depth studies; and three charts illustrating new VET enrollees, enrollment of 14-19 year-Olds, and graduates, dropouts, and enrollees at the upper secondary level.) (YLB)

Data for studies of vocational education and training systems in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and five other countries in the region were gathered through an analysis of existing studies and visits to the main stakeholders in the countries. Some of the main conclusions reached by the study of Jordan include the following: (1) with a high commitment in Jordan for a reform of the vocational education and training system as part of an overhaul of the entire human resources development system, the reform of the vocational education and training system has already become an integral part of the Education Reform Program that started in 1988; (2) international donors have played an important role in financing educational expenditures in Jordan; (3) support from the Canadian government has helped to identify problems in the current vocational education and training system, and a reform policy has been created and steps toward implementation have been taken; and (4) the reform of the Training Centers catering to basic school drop-outs has only just begun and the development of a Continuing Vocational Training system has hardly begun at all. Recommendations include improving the lower and middle segments of the occupational qualification structure, implementing an apprentice system, and developing a mechanism for interface between industry and the educational establishment. (Contains 24 references.) (KC)

Data for studies of vocational education and training systems in Malta and five other countries in the region were gathered through an analysis of existing studies and visits to the main stakeholders in the countries. Some of the main conclusions reached by the study of Malta include the following: (1) since the island has limited natural resources, the focus on human capital should be maximized, with service industries such as tourism at the forefront of the effort; (2) most companies are very small, so it is difficult to assess the job skills required for the future; (3) the entire vocational education and training system is being studied and plans are being made for a new institute, the Malta College of Technology, Applied Art and Science; (4) the need to set up a transparent national system of occupational qualifications and competency standards is one of the key issues for vocational education reform; (5) the role of social partners in vocational education and training in Malta has to be strengthened and developed further; and (6) continuing education should be developed in new economic growth areas, using modern technologies, in order to combat growing unemployment. (KC)

Data for studies of vocational education and training systems in Turkey and five other countries in the region were gathered through an analysis of existing studies and visits to the main stakeholders in the countries. Some of the main conclusions reached by the study of Turkey include the following: (1) there is a great need for improving the vocational education and training system in Turkey, especially since Turkey is now a candidate to join the European Union; (2) although in theory the existing relationship between education and work creates a promising basis for the development of vocational education and training, in practice the links are frequently insufficient and the effectiveness of the system varies enormously from region to region; (3) the role of social partners in vocational training needs to be developed; (4) the high degree of specialization in vocational training schools has become outdated with respect to labor market needs; (5) a needed reform that is being implemented is the creation of a modular curriculum structure, although an integrated system of vocational qualifications and standards has yet to be developed; and (6) teacher training, both preservice and inservice, needs to be strengthened. Some of the recommendations of the study include increasing the efficiency of the training system, building institutional capacity, and establishing a system of continuing training. (Contains 33 references.) (KC)

This report provides an overview of the state of vocational education and training systems in Bulgaria, in the context of the history and the present economic development of the country. The report is organized in nine sections that cover the following topics: (1) political and socioeconomic background information, including economic development, demography, and the labor market; (2) modernization of vocational education and training system, including organization and main features; (3) human resource development of managers and administrators; (4) research on vocational education and training and the labor market; (5) institutions responsible for state policy on vocational education and training; (6) legislation; (7) financing of vocational education and training and continuing vocational training; (8) the contribution of bilateral and multilateral donors to vocational education and training reform; and (9) constraints, challenges, and future needs, among them these key priorities: dissemination of the VETERST pilot school activities, institution-building and training at the regional level, and development of continuing training activities for groups vulnerable to unemployment and social exclusion. The document also contains a list of abbreviations, a bibliography listing 29 references, a glossary defining 14 terms, lists of major organizations in vocational education and training and continuing vocational training, a list of in-depth studies carried out by the Bulgarian National Observatory, a one-page profile of the Bulgarian education system, 20 tables, 7 charts, and a diagram. (KC)

Data for studies of vocational education and training systems in Cyprus and five other countries in the region were gathered through an analysis of existing studies and visits to the main stakeholders in the countries. Some of the main conclusions reached by the study of Cyprus are the following: (1) Cyprus is a rapidly developing country that must face changes in its education and employment systems; (2) the country needs to improve the overall attractiveness of the vocational and education training system in order to secure a balanced and transparent structure of qualifications within an overall coherent vocational training system; (3) while unemployment rates are low, the labor market situation is characterized by a relatively high level of graduate unemployment; and (4) the field of continuing and further vocational education and training is well established. Main recommendations of the study include internal restructuring and modernization of both initial and continuing vocational institutions, improving the quality and status of secondary technical and vocational education, improving and modernizing teaching methods and assessment approaches, and improving national policy-making capacities for the implementation and monitoring of European programs. (Contains 29 references.) (KC)

A study conducted qualitative interviews with 12 newly qualified pedagogues from 3 different training colleges in 3 different locations in Denmark. The project was launched because the formerly more specialized training program was being replaced by one standard education program that would be a general education in which students would gain a general knowledge of problems attached to pedagogical work with ordinary, disabled and socially disadvantaged children, juveniles and adults, and have the potential to learn to obtain new knowledge and options when confronted with new problems at work. The organization of the new training program was decentralized. The first point of general relevance from the study was that, if a national education board leaves it to the decentralized levels to determine essential elements of the training programs, it would result in differentiation. The second point was that as a result of modernizing, newly qualified pedagogues would need increased proficiency in negotiation and administration systems. The third point was that 11 pedagogues planned to create their own special niche or a special career by incorporating personal interests such as music. In connection with the "critical/utopian" concepts of self-regulation, self-determination, and self-administration, newly qualified pedagogues may interpret them very differently according to the cultural context of the pedagogue. (Contains 10 references.) (YLB)

Looking back over the past 5 decades of adult education at University College, Cork, one is struck by the realities of continuity and change as the guiding rationale moved from Roman Catholic reconstructionism to community partnership and empowerment. Structures put in place under President O'Rahilly's sponsorship persisted so robustly they allowed for change to the point where they departed from his ideological position. The administrative structure of the Adult Education Committee, Adult Education Department, and outreach personnel and the outreach and cooperative ethos allowed identification of new needs and more inclusive mechanisms for program development and delivery. Most significant was modification in content of diploma courses to where they were no longer synonymous with Roman Catholic social thinking. Modernization, evident in Irish society from the 1960s, was a potent force for change in university adult education. Challenges to prevailing socio-religious doxa was reflected in new program provision and learning opportunities for adults. The nexus between Catholic Church influence and adult education personnel and programs was reduced considerably as secularist and competing themes and interests were accommodated in a broader model of provision. The 1990s witnessed significant developments in partnership and empowerment as UCC considered its role, structures, and processes in effecting change in delivery and experience of adult education designed to facilitate and promote social inclusion. (Contains 18 references.) (YLB)

Jean-Francois Lyotard is considered by many as the pre-eminent non-Marxist philosopher of the "postmodern condition." This paper offers Lyotard's intellectual biography, describes his political writings and subsequent turn to philosophy, and discusses his views on capitalism in the postmodern condition and the problem of the legitimation of knowledge. Lyotard offers a critical account of the status of knowledge and education in the postmodern condition that focuses on the most highly developed societies. The major working hypothesis of "The Postmodern Condition" is "that the status of knowledge is altered as societies enter what is known as the postindustrial age and cultures enter what is known as the postmodern age" (1984:3). Specifically, Lyotard maintains that the leading sciences and technologies have all been based on language-related developments and their miniaturization and commercialization. In this context, the status of knowledge is permanently altered: its availability as an international commodity becomes the basis for national and commercial advantage within the global economy; its computerized uses in the military provide the basis for enhanced state security and international monitoring. Knowledge has already become the principal force of production, changing the composition of the work force in developed countries. Educational theory should seek to critique existing metanarratives that legitimize education in universal terms. At the same time it must respect the culturally specific formations of plural forms of oppression at the intersections of class, race, and gender. (Contains 47 references). (LMI)

In response to the Ministry of Education and Training Discussion Paper on Apprenticeship Reform, the Council of Presidents of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario presented a new vision for apprenticeship in Ontario. The 21st century apprenticeship system aims to remove barriers and enable workers to successfully adjust and cope with rapid change in the workplace and labor market. In order to accomplish this, the paper addresses the need to be employer driven, encourage continuous learning and quality program improvements and be a direct benefit to increasing wealth for all Ontarians. The paper starts with the community colleges' vision and action plan for apprenticeship training, and then responds to regulatory and strategic issues questions. Apprenticeship training is viewed as a value-added investment in people that enhances the skill level of the workforce. Key elements of an apprenticeship system are flexibility, access to further training, increased industry ownership of the programs, and industry-sanctioned recognition. The Communications and Marketing Branch of the Ministry of Education and Training estimates that by the year 2015 Ontario's labor force will change to include a higher participation rate by women and a significant increase in culturally diverse and visible minorities. This reformed system seeks to provide for successful learning opportunities for these new labor force entrants while providing current workers the skills necessary to operate new technologies. (JJL)

Using the case study method, research was synthesized on micro-enterprises in Europe and the effects of changes in work organizations on employee qualifications and vice versa. The research focused on retail operations employing 10 or fewer staff. Five case studies were conducted in each of four member states of the European Union--Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The research found that the changing nature of retail operations (i.e., the growth of giant retail chains and changes in modes of transportation, work hours, and demographics) presents both problems and opportunities for small retailers. Although they often lose customers to the lower-priced chains, they can also supply a dimension of customer services that the large enterprises cannot. The study provides information about the complex and demanding character of modernization processes on small businesses. It shows that job training for such enterprises must take place on the job and be compatible with the routines of the businesses. On-the-job continuing vocational training in micro-enterprises could be provided if the learning content can be broken down and systematized. (Contains 18 references) (KC)