Privatisation, Decentralisation and Education in the United Kingdom: The Role of the State

Since the early 1950s, the axis centralisation–decentralisation, especially as thematised in the work of Isaac Kandel, has represented a major focus of comparative studies in education. Kandel argued that issues relating to the internal conduct of the classroom (interna) should, so far as possible, be decentralised, while issues relating to administration, school structure and organisation of the educational system (externa) might safely be centralised. After 1988, successive governments in the United Kingdom have undertaken reforms which have placed more central control on the curriculum and even methods of teaching (interna), while school finance and administration (externa) have been devolved to the school level. The present essay argues that a simplistic approach to centralisation and decentralisation is not likely to be fruitful. Instead, we should acknowledge the role of the State in creating a permissive framework for educational systems. Local action can then be seen as part of a policy accommodating or resisting the implications of that framework.     

Decentralisation And Privatisation Of Education In Africa: Which Option For Nigeria?

Arguing that the politicisation of decentralisation appreciably reduces educational quality and efficient resource allocation and negatively affects matters of equity in and delivery of education, the present study provides a critique of decentralisation and privatisation in education in Africa with special reference to Nigeria. On the basis of the experiences of other nations, the author suggests that both decentralisation and privatisation in education – especially the introduction of user fees – have created a new dimension of educational inequality in Nigeria as well. In this case, it can be seen that indicators of efficiency declined significantly in line with negative trends in national-government appropriations to sub-national governments and the education sector. The author concludes that no linkage can be asserted to exist between decentralisation and educational improvement.     

Privatisation,Decentralisation And Governance In Education In The Czech Republic,England, France,Germany And Sweden

The Czech Republic, England, France, Germany and Sweden differ culturally and economically, but they commonly exhibit general trends of decentralisation in the control of educational processes and outcomes. The present contribution looks at these five European countries as the venue for case studies in educational restructuring as well as evaluation, assessment and reporting. It shows that such trends have been most radical in the Czech Republic and Sweden, while England has centralised curriculum policy and France has devolved some decision-making to bodies at lower levels, but as representatives of the central state.     

The Decentralisation Of Education In Kerala State,India: Rhetoric And Reality

The decentralisation of educational administration has been widely advocated as a strategy to promote local participation in education. However, the fact that this advocacy has a long history raises the question why decentralisation has not been achieved in more educational systems. The answers to this question are many and complex. Among them are difficulties with the implementation of reforms. The present study examines some of these difficulties in Kerala State, India. It determines that although Kerala has a strong reputation for political participation, the rhetoric of decentralisation in the educational sector has not matched the reality there. The lessons to be learned in this context have wide implications for the theory and practice of decentralisation in education.     

Privatisation, Decentralisation And Governance In Education In The Czech Republic, England, France, Germany And Sweden

The Czech Republic, England, France, Germany and Sweden differ culturally and economically, but they commonly exhibit general trends of decentralisation in the control of educational processes and outcomes. The present contribution looks at these five European countries as the venue for case studies in educational restructuring as well as evaluation, assessment and reporting. It shows that such trends have been most radical in the Czech Republic and Sweden, while England has centralised curriculum policy and France has devolved some decision-making to bodies at lower levels, but as representatives of the central state.     

The Decentralisation Of Education In Kerala State, India: Rhetoric And Reality

The decentralisation of educational administration has been widely advocated as a strategy to promote local participation in education. However, the fact that this advocacy has a long history raises the question why decentralisation has not been achieved in more educational systems. The answers to this question are many and complex. Among them are difficulties with the implementation of reforms. The present study examines some of these difficulties in Kerala State, India. It determines that although Kerala has a strong reputation for political participation, the rhetoric of decentralisation in the educational sector has not matched the reality there. The lessons to be learned in this context have wide implications for the theory and practice of decentralisation in education.     

Approaches to Global Education in the United States, The United Kingdom and Japan

This paper analyses approaches to global education in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. The paper begins by looking at movements that preceded global education, such as education for international understanding, development education, multicultural education, and peace education. The rise and fall of these earlier movements is analysed in terms of the interplay between the international and domestic politics of particular countries. To identify the world views which underpinned these pedagogic forms, the author discusses various discontinuities between the period up to the 1990s and thereafter. It is suggested that fresh forms of global education are emerging in - and because of - the changed world of the late 20th and early 21st century.     

Approaches to Global Education in the United States, The United Kingdom and Japan

This paper analyses approaches to global education in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. The paper begins by looking at movements that preceded global education, such as education for international understanding, development education, multicultural education, and peace education. The rise and fall of these earlier movements is analysed in terms of the interplay between the international and domestic politics of particular countries. To identify the world views which underpinned these pedagogic forms, the author discusses various discontinuities between the period up to the 1990s and thereafter. It is suggested that fresh forms of global education are emerging in - and because of - the changed world of the late 20th and early 21st century.     

发展教育在英国

半个世纪以来，发展教育的理念日益进入英国教育的主流，其组织规模也不断扩大。但理论基础薄弱，概念界定不清，实际操作性差仍是其存在的棘手问题，向操作性强、可塑性强的学习理论的转型，是它的必然选择。     

Death Education in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper, which is in three parts, first surveys the development of some forms of informal death education in the United Kingdom since Gorer's (1965) post‐war survey of attitudes to death, grief and mourning. It notes how many of the responses made to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, are part of such developments. Next it shows how the media in particular, together with exhibitions, courses and reports, continue to contribute to the attainment of four goals originally applied to American Death Education: (1) informing of facts not currently widespread in society, (2) learning to deal with feelings about one's own death and the deaths of significant others, (3) becoming informed consumers of medical and funeral services, and (4) clarifying one's values on social and ethical issues. The paper concludes by outlining some choices and challenges that death and bereavement present using Buber's I‐‐Thou perspective.     

Special Education in the United Kingdom

ALL CHILDREN of school age in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of the Education Authority and must be offered educational provision. About 1.3% of pupils attend special schools; other pupils with special educational needs receive support of various kinds in ordinary schools. The Education Act 1981 is the main legislative instrument concerned with special education: it defined special educational needs, established integration as a key principle guiding service provision and laid down detailed procedures for conducting assessments. Special educational provision is likely to be affected significantly by the general Education Act introduced in 1988 but the precise implications are not yet clear.     

英国高等教育管理改革的动向及启示

英国高等教育管理改革主要表现在两个方面：一是通过改革高等教育管理体制，以加强政府对高等教育的管理；二是通过改革投资体制，引进市场竞争机制，从而增强高等教育的活力与应变能力。英国高等教育管理改革的启示是：政府尽量不对高校事务进行直接干预，而是采取间接调控的手段；同时，引入市场机制来协调大学与社会的关系也存在一个“适度”问题；最重要的是，英国浓厚的文化传统使得政府、大学与市场三者的关系在冲突中达到了某种平衡。     

Education Statistics for the United Kingdom

Introduction: Statistics for the education systems in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are collected and processed separately in accordance with the particular needs of the responsible Departments. Each Education Department—the Department of Education and Science, the Welsh Office Education Department, the Scottish Education Department and the Department of Education Northern Ireland—publishes a selection of statistics concerning education within the separate countries. More detailed statistics on universities can be found in the University Grants Committee's own publications.     

高等教育中的公立与私立问题--以英国为例的研究

从撒切尔夫人开始,英国就进行了广泛私有化改革,但英国的高等教育仍然由政府部门主导。最近的15年间,英国高等教育的财政制度和学校体制发生了巨大的变革,市场机制在英国高等教育中扮演了越来越重要的角色。在高等教育的结构方面,由过去主要以研究型大学为主,发展为多种类型大学并存。在政府对高等教育的管制方式方面,政府通过质量保证局与研究评估局,加强了对大学的绩效管理。在经费方面,一方面加强了绩效拨款,另一方面强调学生分担教育成本。在大学管理方面,在加强政府监督的同时,也进一步扩大了大学的自主权。这表明私营部门在英国高等教育变革中所扮演的角色越来越重要。     

The Implementation of e-Learning in Higher Education in the United Kingdom: The Road Ahead

The quality assurance bodies for higher education in the United Kingdom, particularly HEFCE and QAA, have concluded that the information and communication technologies can serve as powerful stimuli for improving the three principal instructional functions in higher education institutions: teaching, learning, and assessment. Thus, quality ratings will increasingly be influenced by staff competence in the use of these technologies and, as a result, institutions must make efforts to generalize their use. HEFCE is setting up a Learning and Teaching Support Network and a Generic Learning and Teaching Centre intended to provide subject-based support for the sharing among higher education institutions of innovation and good practice. The Council is also proposing to set up an e-University that would operate commercially as a clearing-house, outsourcing many of its activities to a core of selected campus universities. Many view this proposal as a threat to traditional universities.     

Deaf Students and Higher Education in the United Kingdom

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, 233 higher education institutions were surveyed in 1988 and 1989 providing 166 returns. The survey sought information on equal opportunities policies, provision of technical support, the availability of support personnel and interpreters, funding arrangements, and the numbers of deaf students within higher education (HE). With a few notable exceptions, the returns showed a generally poor level of services available to deaf students, an ignorance of the required support needs and a low representation of deaf people within HE. The need for positive action seemed to be least recognized within teacher training colleges. The study also highlighted the absence of any monitoring of deaf or disabled students within HE. Several suggestions are made on how policies and practices in institutions could be changed to widen access to this group of students.