The question of whether the potential short-term advantages of vocational qualifications are offset by disadvantages in later life is an important issue for policy debates. This paper analyses how the choice of vocational or general upper-secondary education affects future prospects of participation in non-formal education (NFE). It presents a…

'Quality' in education has become a global phenomenon, and is frequently discussed in transnational and national policy. In such discussions, 'quality' seems to be both worthwhile and demanded, but at the same time, the concept has also been criticised in previous research as it seems to have attained a 'common sense' status. In this context, the…

In Germany about half of the adult learners who start second chance education drop out before graduation. In this paper we aim to contribute to an explanation for this low success rate. We focus on the normative expectations of learners: What are their expectations concerning teachers' attention to their personal abilities, teacher support and the…

The post-basic education sector is critical to the achievement of the SDGs because this sector increase employability, helps build life skills, and most importantly, improves youth development. No doubt, if post-basic education improves, it will help in the actualisation of the seventeen goals of SDG. Findings reveal that Etisalat intervention in…

Continuous learning and updating one's competences and abilities have become requirements for staying "up-to-date" and "at the top of one's game". Lifelong learning policy has been persuasive in its emphasis on equal learning opportunities for all: everyone has endless possibilities and capabilities to learn according to…

Easing access to higher education (HE) for those engaging in lifelong learning has been a common policy objective across the European Union since the late 1990s. To reach this goal, the transition between vocational and academic routes must be simplified, but European countries are at different developmental stages. This article maps the…

In Belgium, the Exam Board (EB) and the Secondary School for Adults (SSA) are two different ways to attain a secondary diploma after leaving secondary school without a diploma. The SSA is part of the regular educational system and organises courses with an adult approach. The EB is a flexible system in which students prepare themselves to do…

This article focuses on the tensions between mobility, knowledge and recognition, and what the impact of migration could be on lifelong education and society. This is discussed with the case of Sweden as the starting point. The main issue in Sweden concerning migration is the admission of refugees. Sweden has had a relatively open policy…

The public supply of adult education is very different between countries, making it likely that there is scope for efficiency gains. The contribution of this paper is to provide an economic evaluation of the earnings impact of adult education at upper secondary level (AE) in Sweden, where the supply is plausibly larger than in any other country.…

Our main concern was to investigate the implementation of the new "Education Act", giving adults the statutory right to complete upper secondary education. Referring to a "top-down" and a "bottom-up" perspective we have investigated how the representatives of the county authorities (the bureaucrats) interpret and…

Rapid changes in social circumstances and conditions will have a profound effect on ideas and attitudes concerning the role of the school. Schools ought to take account of these considerations and to examine critically their relationship with the wider society. (Falmer Press, Falmer House, Barcombe, Nr Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5DL, UK) (SSH)

Cognitive and metacognitive skills are essential for effective lifelong learning. However, mastery is not likely to be achieved by the end of compulsory schooling. Both secondary and postsecondary education should shift from a focus on content knowledge to the development of these learning-to-learn skills. (Contains 35 references.)

A conceptual framework of adult participation in higher secondary education has six features: social origin, normative group, comparative group, age, gender, and supply. The features closest to Cross' Chain of Response model should form the primary basis for development of theories about participation. (SK)

Research in Canada and New Zealand examined the experience of adults returning to secondary education. The study uncovered a dynamic process in which the adult is both integrated into school culture and differentiated as part of adult student subculture. (SK)

Responses from 40 Slovenian companies and from school principals indicate the following: employers are not satisfied with graduates of vocational and professional training; most principals think schools are slow to respond to scientific/technical needs; and most employers are willing to participate in program planning in schools. (SK)