Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2000): Education - Overseas

CHANGING PARENT ROLES IN SCHOOL: EFFECTS OF A 2-YEAR STUDY OF A FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAM IN AN URBAN FIRST-GRADE CLASSROOM

R. J. Nistler and A. Maiers

Education and Urban Society, vol. 32, no. 1. 1999, p. 108-126.

The article describes a family literacy program established by A. Maiers. The purpose of the program was to help parents understand how important their role is in their child's literacy development.

The article shares the findings of what occurred in the classroom setting when parents and children engaged in literacy activities during the school day with emphasis on combining the strengths of home literacy with school.

EDUCATION COOPERATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE NEW MILLENIUM

H. Müller - Solger

European Journal for Education Law and Policy, vol. 3, 1999, 111-115.

EU education programmes include the following four types of action:

• personnel exchanges;
• pilot projects;
• information exchange and programme dialogue;
• recognition of qualifications.

Author suggest that exchanges of students and teachers and information exchange can eventually be organised into permanent European structures.

THE EDUCATION (WELFARE) BILL 1999: A NEW APPROACH TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN IRELAND

D. Glendenning

European Journal for Education Law and Policy, vol. 3, 1999, p. 141-143.

Describes the provisions of the Education (Welfare) Bill 1999, which addresses the issues of school attendance, truancy, State supervision of home education and related matters from a child welfare perspective.

THE LAST DAYS OF SOCRATES

V. Reding

Education and Training Review, vol. 2, Winter 1999, p. 9-10.

Describes the new generation of EU education initiatives proposed by the Commission. They are Socrates IJ for education, Leonardo da Vinci II for vocational training, and Youth, based on a combination of Youth for Europe and the European Voluntary Service scheme. It is envisaged that these will lead up to the creation of a European learning area in which unnecessary barriers to mobility are removed.

THE REFORM OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ITALY: CURRICULAR AUTONOMY OR THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

G. Gori

European Journal for Education Law and Policy, vol. 3, 1999, p. 145-149.

Granting universities curricular autonomy through the abolition of centrally set curricula should help to reduce student dropout rates, raise the number of graduates and reduce the average duration of studies. Centrally set curricula are rigid and impossible to change quickly in the light of advances in knowledge. Their difficulty makes the dropout rate very high, and extends the time required to complete the course.

RESTRUCTURING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN HONG KONG

J. Lumbye

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 14, 2000, p. 16-22.

The reversion of Hong Kong to mainland China has led to swift and major changes in the economic base, and a consequent change in the vocational education and training needed to support economic prosperity. To meet the requirements of the new environment, the Vocational Training Council is leading a restructuring of the seven technical institutes and two technical colleges of Hong Kong to become a new single organisation, the Institute of Vocational Education, with a revised structure, management culture and curriculum.