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In 2007, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization-International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO-IIEP) and the World Economic Forum's Global Education Initiative launched a new program, "Partnerships for Education" (PfE), to create a global coalition for multi-stakeholder partnerships for education, including the private sector, in order to advance progress towards the objectives of Education for All (EFA). To accomplish this, PfE will conduct studies and develop tools and frameworks for the establishment, implementation and evaluation of multi-stakeholder partnerships. It will build capacity for implementation at the country, regional and global levels, through decision support, sharing of good practice, advocacy, evaluation, and the mobilization of practitioners, donors, governments and experts. This study was commissioned to help lay the groundwork for PfE in complement to a set of case studies and the development of a database to document good practice. It defines basic concepts and surveys the hopes, expectations, needs and pitfalls in partnerships for education. It provides recommendations for action as well as avenues for reflection. It is intended for development practitioners at the international and country levels. (Contains 14 boxes, 1 table, and 1 diagram.) [This report was published jointly by UNESCO-IIEP and World Economic Forum's Global Education Initiative.]

Both professional development programs for teachers currently in the classroom and programs for preparing future teachers should provide technology-rich experiences throughout all aspects of the training. Standards and resources within the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s project "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competency Standards for Teachers" (ICT-CST) provide guidelines for all teachers, specifically for planning teacher education programs and training offerings that will prepare them to play an essential role in producing technology-capable students. This document examines the components of educational reform and presents a matrix of skill sets for teachers which correspond to various policy approaches and education reform components. (Contains 3 tables, 4 figures, and 4 footnotes.)

This report details how political and military violence targeting educational systems is depriving a growing number of children of the right to education. This study focuses on targeted violent attacks, carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic or religious reasons, against students, teachers, academics, education trade unionists, education officials and all those who work in or for education institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. It also includes attacks on educational buildings, such as the firebombing of schools. It urges the international community to address the issue of violent attacks, press for an end to impunity for such attacks and extend the application of human rights instruments to cover violence against education. It recommends the establishment of a publicly accessible global database to facilitate the examination of trends in the scale, nature and targeting of attacks as well as qualitative research into their motives. It calls for the allocation of more resources to the International Criminal Court so that more education-related cases can be brought to trial. Case studies of Iraq, Afghanistan, Thailand, Nepal, and Colombia are presented. This report is dedicated to the memory of Safia Ama Jan, a former Afghan teacher who, during the reign of the Taliban, risked her life by running an underground school for girls from her home.

This booklet aims to provide policy advice and support to decision-makers and managers in the area of quality assurance in higher education. In order to do so, the authors describe and discuss major issues that decision-makers in charge of quality assurance need to consider for the creation or development of an external quality assurance (EQA) mechanism. Under each issue, different options are identified that have been derived from a comparative analysis of quality assurance systems in a multitude of countries across continents. The implementation of such options in a given national context is illustrated through examples of various countries' experiences. The authors begin by presenting the international trends that drive countries to adopt an EQA system. They then go on to discuss the overall purposes of an EQA system and how they relate to basic organizational and methodological approaches. The authors also discuss variations in the definition of higher education quality and how it can be measured. Finally, the issue of the support structure for EQA is tackled in terms of administrative affiliation, management and needed resources. The authors conclude by exploring ways to control the quality of the EQA systems themselves. A list of web resources is also provided. (Contains 4 tables, 23 boxes, and 1 footnote.)

This document is a summary of the "First Experts' Meeting: Defining Areas of Action to Enhance Learning--From Access to Success," which took place at UNESCO Headquarters from March 26 to 28, 2007. The meeting brought together some 30 experts from around the world including researchers, educators, educational planners, representatives of United Nations Agencies and selected government officials, with the intention of stimulating critical thought and discussion on how to enhance learning and critically examine the internal and external factors influencing the learning process. The report provides ideas for expanding existing initiatives and developing new ones while improving cooperation and partnership at all levels. Annexes provide: (1) Agenda; (2) List of Participants; and (3) Background Note.

Seven years ago 164 governments, together with partner organizations from around the world, made a collective commitment to dramatically expand educational opportunities for children, youth, and adults by 2015. Participants at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, endorsed a comprehensive vision of education, anchored in human rights, affirming the importance of learning at all ages and emphasizing the need for special measures to reach the poorest, most vulnerable and most disadvantaged groups in society. This sixth edition of the "Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report" assesses the extent to which these commitments are being met. There is clearly a "Dakar effect," evidence that rallying around common goals can mobilize countries to empower individual lives. Partly because of the abolition of tuition fees, more children are enrolled in school than in 2000, with the sharpest increases in the regions farthest from the goals set in Dakar. Many governments have introduced targeted strategies to reach the poorest households and to encourage girls' schooling. A growing number are conducting national assessments to measure pupils' learning achievement, valuable evidence for improving education quality. Though a recent downturn is cause for concern, aid to basic education has increased rapidly since 2000. As education systems expand, however, they face more complex and more specific challenges. They must address the increasing number and diversity of student populations by ensuring that all children and youth, regardless of their backgrounds, gain access to a quality education. They must act upon the challenges of the era: rapid urbanization and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the demands of knowledge societies. Any failure to deliver on these obligations breaches commitment to universal basic education. The EFA Global Monitoring Report offers an authoritative reference for comparing the experiences of countries, understanding the positive impact of specific policies and recognizing that progress happens when there is political vision and commitment. (Contains 48 figures, 80 tables, 25 text boxes, 8 maps, and 20 footnotes. The following are appended: (1) The Education for All Development Index; (2) Prospects for the achievement of EFA by 2015: Methodology; (3) National learning assessments by region and country; (4) National policies to advance Education for All in thirty countries; (5) Statistical tables; (6) Aid tables; (7) Glossary; (8) Abbreviations; and (9) Index.) [This report was produced by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s EFA Global Monitoring Report Team, under the direction of Nicholas Burnett.]

This booklet targets policymakers and educators with busy lives (especially those in developing countries) who may neither have the time nor the opportunity to read widely across all the issues raised herein. This publication looks at all forms of teacher learning, formal and informal, from teachers' own early schooling, through their training, and on to the end of their teaching career. Its purpose is to provide a way of thinking about the preparation and continuing professional development of elementary school teachers than can be used as a basis for evaluating existing programs and planning new ones. It argues that to formulate policy and design effective programs for teacher preparation and professional development, the whole spectrum of teacher learning must be considered. It discusses the unresolved controversy of how much formal preparation is needed before starting to teach, the different models of initial teacher preparation, the induction phase, and the continuing professional development of teachers, not to be confused with existing programs of in-service teaching. Much recent research and fresh knowledge have been brought together for the first time in this booklet. This includes literature on the nature of teacher preparation and professional development in developing countries (notably ambitious, innovative reforms), the rapidly growing body of research on teacher education and teacher learning in industrialized countries, the recently published analyses of the exceptional forms of professional development that exist in Japan and China, and the various positions taken by critics and proponents of teacher preparation and professional development as they exist today. Chapter I elaborates on this way of thinking about teacher preparation and continuing professional development. Chapter II deals with unresolved controversies over how much and what kinds of professional development are necessary for teaching. Chapter III examines the main policy and practice options that are available. Chapter IV turns attention to looking at how entry into teaching is assisted in various national contexts. Finally, in Chapter V, organizational support to teacher learning beyond the first years of service is considered.

This brief report, delivered after the completion of the 1st year of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005-2014), highlights the recent developments regarding the Decade (2005). It reports on the documents prepared, the regional and national launches of the Decade held so far and presents relevant publications and other products. This is a very small reflection of the extraordinary number of activities, events, networks and support for the DESD from countries, regions, civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and stakeholders from all over the world reported every day to UNESCO Headquarters. These activities are creating immense energy and attention for the DESD, and daily UNESCO receives e-mails, phone calls, letters and visitors to share ideas and concrete initiatives, including artistic expressions, in support of the DESD. A brief list of selected documents and publications for the DESD conclude the report.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has put together this brochure on its contribution to Africa's Plan for Science and Technology to 2010 in the lead up to the forthcoming African Union Summit, in January 2007, and the meeting of African Ministers of Science and Technology November 23-24, 2006. The theme of the 8th summit meeting of the African Union Heads of State, to be held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in January 2007, is Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation for Africa's Socio-Economic Development. November 23-24, 2006, African Ministers of Science and Technology will be meeting in Cairo (Egypt) ahead of the forthcoming summit; the UNESCO delegation to the Cairo meeting will be headed by Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. In preparation for this event, UNESCO has put together a brochure on its contribution to Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action. This brochure outlines UNESCO's ongoing programs and activities in Africa. It echoes the objectives of the African Union (AU)/New Partnership for Africa's Development's (NEPAD) Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action and provides a "foretaste of the ways in which UNESCO can lend its support to NEPAD." Themes addressed herein are: (1) Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Indigenous Knowledge; (2) Energy, Water and Desertification; (3) Information and Communication Technologies and Space Science and Technologies; and (4) Improving Policy Conditions and Building Innovation Mechanisms. Annexes include: (1) Microbial Resource Centers in Africa; (2) UNESCO Chairs in Science and Technology in Africa; (3) World Heritage Sites in Africa; and (4) Biosphere Reserves in Africa. (Contains 32 boxes.) [This publication was produced with the support of the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and UK Department for International Development.]

This paper aims to synthesize the central issues surrounding Intercultural Education, and presents the fundamental guiding principles for an intercultural approach to education as viewed by UNESCO. It is divided into three parts. Part I outlines the key issues surrounding Intercultural Education, as well as its objectives and basic operating principles. Part II contains a short presentation of the normative framework for Intercultural Education, based on an analysis of international standard-setting instruments that make reference to education and intercultural issues, and on outcomes from International Conferences. Part III synthesizes the international position on this issue and provides a set of three basic principles that should guide educational policies with regard to Intercultural Education. (Contains 155 endnotes.)

This paper was commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to review the linkages and synergies between EDUCAIDS, the UNAIDS Global Initiative on Education and HIV & AIDS, and other initiatives in the field of HIV and AIDS. This paper documents the similarities and differences between EDUCAIDS and selected initiatives, identifies current and potential links, and provides recommendations on how synergies and linkages can be strengthened. The analysis in this review was done on the basis of a document review and interviews with partners from the majority of the initiatives selected by UNESCO for this study. Five kinds of initiatives were reviewed. The first concerns programs that have been put in place with a specific focus on HIV and AIDS. The second includes examples of initiatives with a broader focus (such as promoting sustainable development and enhancing school health) and which, through their activities, address a number of priority areas, including HIV & AIDS and education. The third is constituted by "thematic initiatives" which address HIV and AIDS from a particular defined priority, for example by focusing on children. These initiatives include education as one of their strategies. The fourth kind of initiative concerns frameworks for operation at country level such as the "Three Ones," the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the UN country teams on HIV and AIDS. Finally, the analysis considers the synergies and differences between EDUCAIDS and the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education. The study concludes that EDUCAIDS is seen by most partners as a useful and worthwhile initiative and that its overall focus in many ways complements the on-going work in HIV & AIDS and education, in particular by offering a comprehensive framework for action at country level. In general, the review identifies a need for better communication on EDUCAIDS to ensure clarity on the initiative, and it further identifies potential areas of overlap which EDUCAIDS will need to take into account, especially with respect to work already done through other initiatives in conducting situation analyses and gap analyses as well as in training and support. This paper is divided into seven sections. Following a brief outline of the EDUCAIDS initiative in section two, section three outlines the purpose of this paper while section four summarises the methodology used in this analysis. Section five documents in some detail a number of major initiatives to support comprehensive education sector responses to HIV and AIDS. For each of these initiatives, current and potential areas of collaboration with EDUCAIDS are identified. This section includes a summary of recommendations on how to strengthen synergies between the various initiatives. Section six, the final section of the paper, summarises key conclusions and recommendations. Appended are: (1) Terms of Reference; (2) Documentation Consulted; (3) Persons Contacted; and (4) Overview of Major Initiatives. [This report was prepared by UNESCO's Education Sector, Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education, Section on HIV and AIDS.]

EDUCAIDS, the Global Initiative on Education and HIV & AIDS, is a multi-country initiative to support the implementation of comprehensive national education sector responses to the AIDS epidemic. This publication identifies how the educational sector can respond to HIV/AIDS and examines operational issues for EDUCAIDS at the country, regional and global levels. It also addresses how EDUCAIDS links to Education for All (EFA) and other key initiatives and identifies implementation support available for EDUCAIDS. Appended are: (1) UN Theme Groups and EDUCAIDS; and (2) List of Countries Involved in EDUCAIDS. (Contains 1 box and 16 endnotes.) [This report was published by the Section on HIV and AIDS, Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education, Education Sector, UNESCO.]

The Building Capacities for Non formal Education and Life Skills Programmes project in Uganda was implemented by Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) with financial and technical support from UNESCO--Section for Literacy and non Formal Education in 2004-05; aiming at assisting vulnerable and marginalised youth affected by HIV/AIDS and other risk behaviour, those that may be homeless or living in hopeless situation both in urban centres and rural areas. The project started in April 2004 has passed through many processes before reaching the stage of placing children with local artisans to evaluate its impact. Goals and objectives of the programme include: (1) To determine the learning needs, marketable skills and innovative livelihood practices of marginalized youth in selected urban and rural areas; (2) To identify and facilitate placement of 200 marginalized youth in livelihood best practices; (3) To disseminate best practices and promote innovative and marketable livelihood skills for marginalized youth; (4) To integrate HIV AIDS messages and life skills in the training of marginalized youth in selected rural and urban areas; (5) To develop monitoring and evaluation indicators and tools to facilitate measurement of progress; and (6) To achieve micro programmes aimed to train final beneficiaries in entrepreneurial skills and related functional literacy and non-formal education. This report provides in-depth descriptions of how each of these goals and objectives have been carried out and presents a section on the integration of HIV/AIDS in livelihood skills; and a program results analysis matrix. Appended are: (1) UYDEL Intake Form; (2) Map of Uganda; and (3) Identification and Assessment of Intake Forms of Youth Served. (Contains 22 tables.) [This report was prepared by Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) in collaboration with Department of Social Work and Social Administration (MUK); and AYIVU Rural Participatory Development (ARUPIDE) and was funded by the Section for Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Division of Basic Education, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).]

This booklet is the first in a series of publications that address key themes of UNESCO's work on HIV & AIDS and the education sector. It provides an overview of why HIV and AIDS are important issues for the education sector, identifies weaknesses in current policy and programming responses, and highlights evidence gaps. Intended mainly for government, donor and NGO policy makers, planners and managers working in the education sector, the booklets are also useful for school governing bodies,administrators, school principals, teachers and other educators working on HIV and AIDS. The booklets are based on a review of published and unpublished literature, program activities (primarily but not exclusively UNESCO activities) and case studies. They are not intended to provide a comprehensive overview or scientific analysis of experience. Rather the aim is to draw on available knowledge and experience to highlight issues and lessons learned and suggest policy and programming strategies and actions to address the impact of HIV and AIDS on learners and educators in less developed countries. [This booklet was produced by UNESCO's Division for the Promotion of Quality Education, Section for Education for an Improved Quality of Life.]

Although there is a need for enhanced evidence-based information on successful HIV and AIDS education interventions, much has already been learnt about good practices and policies in the education sector's response to the pandemic. This booklet, to be used in tandem with others in the series, aims to further expand our knowledge by highlighting lessons learnt in the realm of safe, secure and supportive learning environments. The Good Policy and Practice in HIV & AIDS and Education series presents ideas, research results, policy and programmatic examples which project and policy developers and implementers can draw on as they prepare education systems to respond to the needs of HIV affected and infected learners and their communities. Understanding that the education system reaches beyond the traditional classroom into homes, communities, religious centres and other learning forums, this booklet addresses educational practices in both formal and non-formal learning environments. It discusses issues affecting educators in the context of HIV and AIDS, including educator training, conduct, and care and support. The booklet highlights issues and lessons learned and suggests policy and programming strategies and actions to address the impact of HIV and AIDS on learners and educators in less developed countries. It also includes a bibliography, a list of tools and resources, and sources of additional information. [This booklet was produced by UNESCO's Division for the Promotion of Quality Education, Section for Education for an Improved Quality of Life. For Booklet 2 in this series, see ED495662.]

Although there is a need for enhanced evidence-based information on successful HIV and AIDS education interventions, much has already been learnt about good practices and policies in the education sector's response to the pandemic. This booklet, to be used in tandem with others in the series, aims to further expand our knowledge by highlighting lessons learnt in the realm of safe, secure and supportive learning environments. The Good Policy and Practice in HIV & AIDS and Education series presents ideas, research results, policy and programmatic examples which project and policy developers and implementers can draw on as they prepare education systems to respond to the needs of HIV affected and infected learners and their communities. Understanding that the education system reaches beyond the traditional classroom into homes, communities, religious centres and other learning forums, this booklet addresses educational practices in both formal and non-formal learning environments. It discusses issues affecting learners in the context of HIV and AIDS, including learner rights and access to education, protection, knowledge and skills, and care and support. [This booklet was produced by UNESCO's Division for the Promotion of Quality Education, Section for Education for an Improved Quality of Life. For Booklet 1 in this series, see ED495659.]

This document describes the rationale and the strategy of the new United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Initiative for literacy: LIFE. The Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) is designed as a global strategic framework through which national governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, the private sector, UN agencies, and bilateral and multilateral agencies collectively revitalize and accelerate literacy efforts in countries where illiteracy poses a critical challenge. LIFE is a strategy for action to support basic education through promoting competencies in reading, writing and numeracy for the achievement of Education for All (EFA) and to substantially increase literacy learning opportunities within the framework of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD). LIFE will be implemented in 35 countries with a literacy rate of less than 50 percent or a population of more than 10 million without literacy competencies. Presently 85 percent of the world's population without literacy competencies and life skills live in these countries, the majority of whom are women. LIFE will, therefore, aim to empower women and girls, in particular, who have inadequate literacy competencies. This report commences with a Message of the Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations Literacy Decade; Foreword; Executive Summary; and Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE). It then divides into nine sections: (1) Why LIFE?; (2) The Goals and Objectives of LIFE; (3) Strategic Areas for Action; (4) The Scope of LIFE; (5) Making It Happen: The Activities of LIFE; (6) Implementation; (7) Funding; (8) Monitoring and Evaluation; and (9) Annexes. Annexes include: (1) Countries of Priority (35 Countries); and (2) Logical Framework. (Contains 12 footnotes.)

The purpose of this booklet is to document cross-national patterns of adult learning, and in particular the unequal chances to participate in adult learning. In so doing, an effort is made to identify important motivating factors for participating in adult learning. The specific objectives of the booklet are to: (1) make available the internationally comparative data on adult education to a wide audience; (2) present an overview of the extent of adult learning in a comparative perspective; (3) identify international patterns of who is and who is not participating in adult learning, including unequal chances to participate; and (4) discuss various motivating factors that can explain observed inequalities in participation, by using internationally competitive data. It is divided into three chapters. The first chapter provides a brief overview of key issues and trends in adult learning research and policy and discusses the availability of comparative data and evidence. The second chapter presents data analyses that give a comparative overview of adult learning patterns. The third and final chapter offers some conclusions and implications for research and policy. (Contains 14 tables, 2 figures, 1 box, and 2 footnotes.)

Twenty experts from eighteen countries attended the meeting, which was co-organized by the Intangible Heritage Section of UNESCO and the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU). They discussed in three successive sessions three subjects concerning community involvement in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH): (1) the definition and identification of communities and groups; (2) the involvement of communities in inventorying their ICH; and (3) the involvement of communities in preparing nominations to the Representative List. The need to involve communities, groups and, sometimes, individuals in safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage is based on several articles of the Convention. The fourth session was dedicated to international cooperation, in particular at the regional level. The debate of each of the sessions was briefly introduced by one or two experts. After each session, a small group of experts was asked to prepare recommendations to be discussed in the final debate. All the debates took into account that: (1) ICH safeguarding is to focus on practices and processes rather than on products; (2) the practitioners and custodians of ICH must play a central role in safeguarding measures; (3) the Convention allows for different manners of inventorying ICH; (4) active collaboration is needed between different stakeholders; and (5) top-down and bottom-up approaches are equally indispensable for designing and implementing measures at the national and the international level. This report contains the Contents of the CD-ROM and then divides into five sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Opening; (3) Definition of Communities and their Involvement in Safeguarding ICH; (4) International Cooperation: Cooperation in and Beyond the Asia-Pacific Region in the Field of the Safeguarding of ICH; and (5) Closure. Annexes include: the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Participants; List of Participants; Background Paper; Organizer's (UNESCO and ACCU) Presentations; and Meeting Documents (General Information; Opening and Closing Remarks by Rieks Streets, Chief of Intangible Heritage Section, UNESCO; and Photographs). [Accompanying CD-ROM (Experts' Reports) is not available from ERIC.]

This report compares, analyses, and summarises findings from twelve case studies commissioned by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in higher education institutions in Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lesotho, Suriname, Thailand, and Viet Nam. It aims to deepen the understanding of the impact of HIV and AIDS on tertiary institutions and the institutional response to the epidemic in different social and cultural contexts, at varying stages of the epidemic, and in different regions of the world. The overall objective is to identify relevant and appropriate actions that higher education institutions worldwide can take to prevent the further spread of HIV, to manage the impact of HIV and AIDS on the higher education sector, and to mitigate the effects of HIV and AIDS on individuals, campuses and communities. (Contains 101 endnotes, 4 figures, 5 tables, and 2 boxes.) [This study was made possible by UNAIDS Unified Budget and Work Plan (UBW) funds.]

This document provides direction and focus for the third and last phase of the period covered by the Medium-Term Strategy for 2002-2007 (31 C/4 Approved). Hence it has been designed to cast UNESCO's action in response to the strategic objectives, cross-cutting themes and expected outcomes of document 31 C/4, building upon the achievements, results, evaluations and strategic reviews, especially with respect to Education for All, since 2002 as well as to tackle tasks that are unaddressed. The Programme and Budget of the Organisation is a consolidated document outlining those funds which are appropriated by the General Conference of UNESCO and which are financed by contributions assessed on Member States and by Miscellaneous Income (if available), as distinct from the budget financed from extrabudgetary resources, e.g. voluntary contributions. The General Conference of UNESCO approves a new Programme and Budget for the Organization every two years. It has a clear and direct relationship with the Organization's Medium-Term Strategy which lasts for a six-year period and integrates all the various programme- and budget-relevant action taken by the General Conference. The current Programme and Budget heralds a new phase in UNESCO's activities, if not its history: it represents, with an amount of US $610 million, a real-growth budget for the first time since the zero-nominal growth approaches of several past biennia; and it coincides with a giant step towards the restoration of universality in membership by welcoming Timor-Leste and the United States of America among the Organization's members. UNESCO's Programme and Budget is elaborated by the Bureau of Strategic Planning, in collaboration with the the Bureau of the Budget and the Organization's various Sectors and in consultation with all Member States of UNESCO. It is approved during the meeting of the Organization's highest Governing Body, the General Conference.

Student support consists not only of direct financial support, but also of educational provisions that are free of charge or subsidized by the state and local authorities. These provisions include formal education, as schools for young people and adults as well as higher education, and non-formal education, such as study circles and folk high schools. In order to obtain the full picture of the social context, an overview of the Swedish educational system is needed. This paper therefore provides an introduction to the current Swedish educational system. It describes the student financial support available from upper secondary school to university, including adult education, and considers the administration and costs of the system. Finally, the effects of the support system on social equity and the opportunities for individuals to finance lifelong learning, together with the future demand for financing lifelong learning, are analyzed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The Section of Education for Peace and Human Rights of the Division for the Promotion of Quality Education held an expert meeting on Intercultural Education from March 20-22, 2006 at UNESCO Headquarters, bringing together international experts from Australia, Bolivia, Egypt, Finland, Hungary, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Kingdom, including UNESCO Chairs and academics, as well as representatives of NGO's, National Commissions and UNESCO staff from various sectors. The meeting was organized as part of the Section's activities on intercultural education, which are placed more broadly within the framework of UNESCO's activities on the Dialogue among Civilizations, the Rabat Commitment and the concerns of document 33 C/5, which requests the Director-General to continue to "strengthen initiative in the development of materials for education and intercultural and interfaith understanding." Further context was provided by the World Programme for Human Rights Education, the second World Decade of Indigenous Peoples and the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. Presentations and discussions included the relationship between language and culture, changing scenarios for intercultural education, and the linkages between interfaith education and intercultural education. A main aim of the meeting was to receive input from the invited experts for the draft document "UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education" as well as for a database on Intercultural Education, both of which are being developed by the Section. Another point presented for feedback was the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity 2007. This report gives a summary of the presentation, the ensuing debates and a synthesis for each panel. The discussions of the draft UNESCO Guidelines and of the database on Intercultural Education, including the results and next steps to be taken are also presented. In addition, the report provides a summary of the debate around the presentation of the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. The following presentations are summarized: (1) Language, Power and Cultural Identity (Sylvia Schmelkes); (2) Language as the Vehicle for Cultural Expression (J. F. Ade-Ajayi); (3) Intercultural Education in Latin America (Luis Enrique Lopez); (4) Intercultural Education and the Situation of the Roma (Alexandre Marc); (5) "Skating on the Surface of Multiculturalism"--A Perspective on Intercultural Education in South Africa (Crain Soudien); (6) Intercultural Education in the Context of Internationalization, Localization and Globalization (Johanna Lasonen); (7) The Role of School in Promoting Intercultural Dialogue and Intercultural Learning: The Associated Schools Network Experience in Lebanon (Christiane Jeitani); (8) The Role of Religion in Civic, Citizenship and Human Rights Education and the United Nations (Liam Gearon); (9) Towards a Future Model of Education (Ali Omar El Kashef); (10) "To Try to Ignore Religion Is to Stick Your Head in the Sand"--The Place of Religion in Intercultural Education (Gary Bouma); (11) A Reflection on Interfaith Education (Dai-Geun Kang); and (12) Religion and the Secular State (Jagdish Gundara). Also included in this report is a list of participants and the program agenda. [This report was produced by UNESCO's Section for Human Rights Education, Education Sector.]

This booklet explores the nature of participation, representation and decision-making in school governance in South Africa based on a collective case-study of six schools in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that was undertaken between 2002 and 2004. The different types of schools were compared by the following criteria: their interpretation of the new governance policies; students', teachers', and parents' behavior and attitudes relating to governance; and organizational governance practices. The main focus was on stakeholders' sense-making or theories of action regarding school governance. The terrain of the research for this book is the change or lack thereof in governance structures brought about by the South African Schools Act (SASA). The research focused on contextual variations, continuities and discontinuities, processes of mediation and conflict, conceptual tensions and varying interests, historical legacies, and individual interpretations that influence schools' responses to external policies and central mandates. In exploring key assumptions in the governance discourse, this book suggests that governance policy in practice is constituted by the interaction of implementing agents' theories of action, the context of the school, the administrative context, and policy signals. Research Methodology is appended. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

This study has two main objectives: first, to assess the overall capacity of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) of Nepal, its staff and constituent bodies in relation to their mandates, roles and responsibilities; second, to guide the conceptualization and preparation of a human resource development plan (HRDP) for MOES to support the central goal of quality improvement under the Basic and Primary Education Programme (second phase) (BPEP II). A core of data was collected by questionnaire instruments which were administered widely within central MOES agencies, selected regional and district units, and local schools within the central and western regions. These quantitative data were complemented with extensive interviewing and group discussion across central, regional and local units. Extensive analysis of relevant documentation was also carried out. The report is presented in three parts. Part I introduces the study and places it within the broader context of public sector reform in Nepal. Part II presents the data collected and analyzed at each of the three institutional levels, as well as in terms of female participation in Nepalese education. Part III suggests a way forward, setting out an expanded vision for human resource development that integrates individual and institutional development and outlining the critical issues to be considered by those involved in the preparation of the HRD plan, as well as a range of practical human resource development and capacity-building measures. The following are appended: (1) Institutional Analysis--Plan of Action; (2) Institutional Analysis Tables; (3) Organizational Chart: Department of Education; and (4) Organizational Chart: Ministry of Education and Sports. (Contains 40 tables.) [This report was produced with support from the Study and Resource Centre of the International Programme for Education and Development, Danish University of Education.]