Lifelong Learning in the European Union: whither the Lisbon Strategy?

This article traces the Lisbon strategy back to the White Paper issued by President Jacques Delors in 1993 on Growth, Competitiveness, and Jobs as the launching point for the structural reform agenda needed to turn around the massive unemployment crisis and proposing a combination of policies for the structural reform of the labour market and stability‐oriented macroeconomic policies designed to stimulate economic growth. The centrality of education and training in the Lisbon strategy is seen as key to the lifelong chances of every citizen linked to the need for Europe to compete on the basis of a knowledge‐based economy if it is to maintain its high social standards. Describing the first years of the Lisbon strategy as ‘a stuttering start’, the mid‐term stock‐taking which offered European leaders the opportunity to fine‐tune or radically modify the strategy is analysed. The article highlights the paradox that, although human capital is claimed to be Europe's most precious resource, there is inadequate focus on the weakest aspects of current systems. It also focuses on policy and financial levers which need to be mobilised within Member States as well as the implications for national budgets. It suggests the prioritisation of a small number of areas on which to concentrate efforts and echoes the Council calling for a ‘quantum leap’ in the ambition of the EU to ensure that the necessary follow‐up is given to meet the challenges. Finally, a strong argument is put forward to take steps to move towards a unified set of proposals for lifelong learning.     

Achieving the Lisbon Goal: the contribution of Vocational Education and Training

This article summarises the main conclusions of the ‘Maastricht study’: Achieving the Lisbon Goal: The Contribution of VET ( Leney et al., 2004 ), which the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), in collaboration with the Institute of Education and other international partners, prepared for the European Commission's DG Education and Culture in 2004. Based on the self‐assessment reports prepared by the Directors‐General for VET (DGVTs) of 31 European countries, and on independent expert reviews of the national and international literature on VET, the report analysed the contribution of VET to achieving the Lisbon goal and influenced the framing of the Maastricht Communiqué which the European education ministers agreed in December 2004. This summary of the findings of the report is organised under the following sections: 1) The potential of VET as an aspect of European cooperation; 2) The current state of play and progress of VET towards achieving the Lisbon goal; 3) Innovation in VET teaching and learning; and 4) Conclusions.     

The Lisbon Strategy Challenges to the Czech Republic Human Resources

When achieving long‐term sustainable growth, the key role is assigned to ­knowledge‐based competitiveness. The new EU Member States therefore face a double challenge on the Lisbon road. On the one hand, higher expenditure is required to improve the quality of research and education input and infrastructure, and on the other, innovation system changes are necessary to increase the efficiency of expended resources. At the same time, both supply and demand sides must be adequately balanced in policy supporting knowledge‐based competitiveness. On the supply side, the position of the new Member States in EU‐25 has been defined in the competitiveness matrix; on the demand side, specific attention is given to the quality of human resources as a prerequisite of competitiveness in the EU as assessed by Czech companies. Finally, recommendations are formulated for the competitiveness support both in the form of a comprehensive innovation policy and a more specific support to human resource supply for innovation.     

School-based Sex Education in Russia: The current reality and prospects

The last decade has been characterised in Russia by a sharp increase in the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially in teenagers, as well as by a high level of unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence and other phenomena relevant to the issues of reproductive and sexual health and behaviour. Though the overwhelming majority of Russian teenagers, their parents and teachers favour the introduction of sex education in schools, there is no national programme of school-based sex education in Russia at the moment. Currently, some conservative forces and the Russian Orthodox Church are actively opposing school sex education and family planning. Opponents of sex education have mounted an aggressive campaign against the implementation of sex education in schools. The attempt of the Russian Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNESCO, to implement in-school sex education has practically failed. At present, direct instruction of schoolchildren in these matters is in fact forbidden. So in the near future, it is only really feasible to promote direct educational work with youngsters on a local basis and in cooperation with some foreign experts within the framework of separate, fairly small-scale projects.     

Globalisation and its Impact Upon Education: prospects and challenges

Book reviewed in this article: Education in Transition: international perspectives on the politics and processes of change R. Griffin (Ed) Education in a Globalized World: the connectivity of economic power, technology and knowledge N. Stromquist Citizenship and the Challenge of Global Education A. Osler & K. Vincent     

双重注册课程:美国衔接中学与中学后教育的策略

20世纪70年代以来,美国推行的"双重注册课程"是在高中阶段为高年级学生开设大学课程的项目,学生注册此类课程可同时获取高中与大学的学分,这有助于激励学生的学习热情,帮助学生提前过渡到中学后教育阶段,并获得学业成功.该项目凭借双重学分累计的特点和低廉成本的优势,赢得了广大低收入家庭和少数族裔学生及家长的青睐,成为当前美国最受欢迎的课程项目之一,在衔接美国中学与中学后教育方面发挥着重要作用.     

Triangulation of language assessment modes: learning benefits and socio-cognitive prospects

An experimental design was adopted in the present study to cross-compare the effect of two formative assessments, namely peer assessment (PA) and teacher assessment (TA), with summative assessment (SA) on the improvement of language learners’ writing skill and self-efficacy. Writing excellence was operationalized by structural (grammar), lexical (word choice), and discoursal (cohesion and coherence) well-formedness. Furthermore, focused group interview was run to elicit the learners' attitudes and preferences toward type of assessment. Three cohorts of proficiency-matched language learners sat for a semester-long experimentation (20 sessions × 90 min = 30 h) and three testing sessions. The results revealed that PA group significantly improved in the writing skill, but TA and SA groups did not. Self-efficacy was not enhanced in any of the assessment groups under study. The interviews and follow-up member checkings indicated that the pupils did not have positive attitudes toward PA and preferred TA. Among the sources of this disfavor, they referred to misunderstanding, lack of knowledge or attention, tiredness, poor handwriting of the assesse, shyness, friendship bias, and even feeling not qualified enough to judge their peers’ tasks. Overall, then, the study reported a mismatch between the students’ actual performance and attitudinal beliefs under different assessment conditions, implying that (a) Iranian students are more inclined toward teacher-dominated pedagogies and (b) triangulation of assessment modes provides more reliable optimal results.     

进阶先修课程:美国衔接中学与中学后教育的策略

20世纪50年代以来,美国推行的“进阶先修课程”是在高中阶段为学生开设大学水平课程的项目,学生选修此类课程并通过统一考试可以获得大学学分,这有助于学习成绩优异者提前过渡到中等后教育阶段并获得学业成功.时至今日,进阶先修课程仍因其课程内容的严谨性与挑战性、考试成绩的普适性与权威性在全球范围内备受优秀学生推崇,是学生挑战自我、获取学分、申请美国名校的有效途径,在衔接美国中学与中学后教育方面发挥着重要作用.     

技术准备计划:美国衔接中学与中学后教育的策略

20世纪90年代以来美国推行的"技术准备计划"被视为21世纪美国职业教育发展的重中之重,同时它也是美国用于衔接中学与中学后教育的重要策略之一。本文从目标、理念、课程模式三个方面阐述了"技术准备计划"的实施过程和实施成效,以期对中国的教育改革有所借鉴。     

Technical and Vocational Education in the People's Republic of China: current status and prospects

ABSTRACT

It is well known that a major change has taken place in China's economic and social development strategy since 1979. The conditions and functions of the whole educational enterprise, including technical and vocational education, have been continuously upgraded and strengthened. Technical and vocational education has taken on a new look and made considerable progress during the 1980s. This article analyses the current situation of technical and vocational education in China and subsequently highlights the policies made for its improvement in the near future.     

社区大学教育与通识教育的融合:理念与策略

社区大学运动的成就及其有待突破的瓶颈以及社区大学必须加强并提升通识教育的意义和在社区大学中实施通识教育的策略:古今交流与师生互动。     

高等教育普及化进程中的职业教育:挑战与应对

普及化是我国高等教育发展的必然趋势,这一进程既引发自身教育对象由单一来源向多元结构过渡、培养目标由精英教育向优势教育转型、办学模式由相对封闭向逐步开放递进等系列教育质变,也将给职业教育带来生源竞争日趋激烈、培训需求日渐多元和体系完善日益迫切的现实挑战。基于高等教育普及化进程中职业教育的价值取向分析,职业教育发展的根本之道在于提升社会吸引力,核心内容在于拓展培训功能,特色选择在于推进国际化进程。     

Education and assessment in Sweden

Education and assessment in Swedish schools have been affected by several reforms during the last two decades. The educational system has moved from centralization to decentralization and a goal‐oriented approach has been introduced on all educational levels. This paper provides an historical overview of the Swedish educational system, educational and assessment policies and principles, to explain why and how the reforms have been carried out. This is followed by a discussion on the effects and consequences of recent reforms, based on findings in recent education and assessment research.     

我国会计高等教育面临的挑战与策略

针对目前我国会计教育存在的问题，会计教育机构和会计教育应充分地分析所面临的困难和问题，采取有效措施，抓住机遇，勇敢地迎接挑战，为我国的会计教育事业做出应有的贡献。     

论高等继续教育的转型发展策略

目前我国继续教育"正处于一个难得的机遇期",也处于"一个艰难的转型时期"。高等继续教育转型,在方向上主要应把握五个问题,一是要真正转变观念,二是继续坚持办好学历教育,三是实现传统继续教育与现代远程教育的融合,四是履行高校的社会服务职能,办好非学历教育,五是走内涵发展道路,千方百计提高教育教学质量。     

全纳教育:历史演进与实施政策

在国际教育界形成探讨全纳教育的热潮之时,本文阐述了"全纳教育"产生及其经历的"理据生成"、"初期探索"和"达成共识"三个阶段的演进过程.同时,介绍了美国、英国、澳大利亚、新加坡、南非等国家实施全纳教育的国家政策,旨在为我国寻求全纳教育推进策略提供借鉴.     

高等教育大众化:高职教育的因应策略

高等职业技术教育是我国高等教育的重要组成部分，高职教育的发展是实现我国高等教育大众化的重要途径。发展高等职业技术教育，政府要制定适合高职教育发展的政策和法规，积极扶持民办和私立高职院校的发展，同时，还要建立科学的教育质量评估体系，引导高职院校形成办学特色，提高高职教育质量。