Direct definitions prove deficient for understanding the complexity of literacy. To examine the use of reading and writing, how it is used, and how it is appropriated, this paper looks at literacy in terms of mediation, multiple literacies, context and participation. A main argument is that access to literacy is accomplished through interaction…

Reading depends on the speed of visual recognition and capacity of short-term memory. To understand a sentence, the mind must read it fast enough to capture it within the limits of the short-term memory. This means that children must attain a minimum speed of fairly accurate reading to understand a passage. Learning to read involves "tricking" the…

The aim of this article is to make initial suggestions as to how certain aspects of adult literacy and numeracy education would benefit from research resources. The author identifies several issues affecting literacy research, such as limited research capacity and lack of a shared international forum. He then discusses four aspects in more detail:…

This paper proposes a framework for assessing the quality of education, based on the outcomes defined in educational standards. The author takes the view that educational standards reflect the mission that schools must fulfill. He explains that the classroom curriculum, derived from educational standards, must customize the learning process to…

With the advent of the UN Literacy Decade launched in 2003, there is increased emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of adult literacy around the globe. The present paper presents an overview of the main approaches that have been taken to measure adult literacy within and across countries. A particular focus of the present review is to compare and…

The title of this article refers to a field study carried out in 2006-2007 in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The article summarizes the basic concepts, aims, methodology and findings of the study. In conclusion, the author points out a number of important policy changes that are called for in this domain. While the study itself…

At a time when governments face the challenges of maintaining competitiveness in a global economy, it is necessary to have high-quality comparative information regarding the fundamental skills of the adult population. Such information can help governments to evaluate policies and design more effective interventions. This article describes a…

For many years there has been a debate about the existence or not, of a common European education policy. In this article I argue that there has been a real European education policy since the approval of the Maastricht Treaty, with a proper content and which offers many new possibilities to students. The core of this policy is the setting up of…

The Japanese educational system is undergoing extensive change, affecting all stages from pre-school programmes to higher education. As Japan has moved from a nation at the top to "A Nation at Risk," certain dichotomies have been highlighted. Viewing Japan as either educational super-power or educational tragedy, depending on the era of…

This essay contributes a Pacific Islands perspective to the global discussion of "Living Together: Education and Intercultural Dialogue". Through poetry and prose, this essay traces the impact of the Tongan concept of "vaa" (values/valued relationships) on learning and language. By invoking UNESCO's mandate to build peace…

The purpose of this study is to explore teacher education policies in different countries of Latin America and North America through the comparison of policy documents. The training of teachers, a key component of education, faces educational challenges as a result of various reform policies in different countries. Critical discourse analysis…

Addressing the central theme of the XIII World Congress, the paper explores a number of contemporary theoretical, methodological and organisational developments in the field of comparative education. In doing so it draws upon the author's recent work and a selection of studies carried out in the South Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa. It is…

In the aftermath of the Bosnian war, the country has been challenged with the task of responding to the atrocities that culminated in the killing of thousands of people. Furthermore, the country's resultant political instability and economic underdevelopment have been complicated by the multiple transitions to which it has been subject since the…

This paper focuses on the issue of separate schooling. Diverse societies use schools to develop shared value systems, strengthen democratic engagements and provide better educational outcomes. However, in Europe, the United States, Australia and elsewhere groups of parents and communities have been invoking human rights claims to challenge the…

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), much like other eastern-European countries, has faced a brief period of transition from the socialist system to capitalism. However, this was interrupted in BiH by a brutal war lasting four years. Social systems and infrastructure were damaged or destroyed, including education, which was harnessed during the war to…