Recent evidence highlights several worrisome trends regarding aid pledges and disbursements, which have been exacerbated by the global financial crisis. First, while overall development assistance rose in 2008, after 2 years of decline, the share of all sector aid going to the education sector has remained virtually unchanged at about 12 percent…

A study of school curricula in a nationally representative sample of 104 Israeli junior high schools (grades 7-9) found wide variety in local implementation of the official curriculum and in the time allocated to various subjects. Three general sociological approaches to explaining the findings focus on organizational "failure," intentional school…

Evaluates the relative importance of educational, economic, and cultural factors in supporting the emergence and stability of democracy. Data from over 100 countries on long-term changes in democracy, 1965-80 and 1980-88, support an institutional perspective that emphasizes the impact of elite higher education (as opposed to mass education and…

Among 63 countries studied, increases in standard of living during 1960-85 were positively related to hours of science education required in elementary school and negatively related to prevocational instructional time. In developed nations, positive national economic effects were also found for instructional time overall and language instruction…