National cultures are known to influence educational institutions and practices in many ways. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that drop-out from university is also influenced by differences in national cultures. In this article, we compare drop-out from Danish universities with drop-out from European universities. Based on Danish national…

This article presents a comparative analysis of the determinants of early school leaving (ESL) at the country level. We decompose ESL rates into two components: a "primary" rate reflecting unqualified school leaving from initial education, and a second component accounting for early school leavers who participate in training programmes.…

This article focuses on evidence regarding cross-national patterns of participation in adult education and an interpretation of these patterns from an institutional and public policy perspective. The interpretation follows from the perspective that sustaining high and widely distributed levels of investment in the development and maintenance of…

In both Britain and France, evaluation has been seen as one element of national strategies to internationalise higher education (HE), with the spread of evaluation indicating policy convergence. However, there are dangers in describing the cross-national adoption of evaluation as an instance of policy transfer in higher education. This article…

Analysis of three common approaches to higher education planning (social demand, manpower planning, and rate-of-return) in European countries suggests that while planners should not rely on one approach, combining approaches superficially can produce contradictory indicators. It also suggests ideological differences are less significant in…

Examines reasons behind 1980s separation of higher and vocational education sectors in Finland and the directions of recent policy controlling student flow. Looks at the changing student market and student expectations about the practical versus theoretical orientations of the two sectors. Argues that the "different but equal" policy is…

The origins, changes, and trends in institutional structures within secondary education in Central and Eastern Europe are examined and compared for 14 countries. Issues discussed include formulation of government policies, compulsory school attendance, articulation with elementary and lower secondary education, transition from compulsory education…

Forces inhibiting change in Greek university education are examined, and trends in university curriculum development are analyzed, using four disciplines as examples: chemical engineering; physics; economics; and history. The extent of influence of government populism and state patronage on the university curriculum is explored. (MSE)

A discussion of the precarious balance between general and vocational education in the Netherlands looks at some characteristics of the Dutch educational system, enrollment trends, and individual benefits of each kind of education. It is concluded that status and opportunities provided by general vs. vocational education vary by discipline. (MSE)

Three different approaches to the evaluation of higher education in European and Scandinavian countries are examined: evaluation of a single discipline across institutions (Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, northern Germany); evaluation of several disciplines within certain institutions (France, Germany); and internal evaluation of…