Showing papers on "Compulsory education published in 2013"
TL;DR: An active model of education is proposed in which children create their own educational experiences in part on the basis of their genetic propensities, which supports the trend towards personalized learning.
Abstract: We have previously shown that individual differences in educational achievement are highly heritable in the early and middle school years in the UK. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether similarly high heritability is found at the end of compulsory education (age 16) for the UK-wide examination, called the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). In a national twin sample of 11,117 16-year-olds, heritability was substantial for overall GCSE performance for compulsory core subjects (58%) as well as for each of them individually: English (52%), mathematics (55%) and science (58%). In contrast, the overall effects of shared environment, which includes all family and school influences shared by members of twin pairs growing up in the same family and attending the same school, accounts for about 36% of the variance of mean GCSE scores. The significance of these findings is that individual differences in educational achievement at the end of compulsory education are not primarily an index of the quality of teachers or schools: much more of the variance of GCSE scores can be attributed to genetics than to school or family environment. We suggest a model of education that recognizes the important role of genetics. Rather than a passive model of schooling as instruction (instruere, ‘to build in’), we propose an active model of education (educare, ‘to bring out’) in which children create their own educational experiences in part on the basis of their genetic propensities, which supports the trend towards personalized learning.
97 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the ways in which institutional regulations, individual agency, and emotions are related in bringing about such significant transitions that take place outside the traditional transitional points and before the endpoint of compulsory education.
Abstract: The conventional approach to youth transitions has focused on particular transitional points taking place after the completion of compulsory education. This paper focuses on the ways in which institutional regulations, individual agency, and emotions are related in bringing about such significant transitions that take place outside the traditional transitional points and before the endpoint of compulsory education. It seeks to contribute to the understanding of agency as being emotionally and socially structured and interlinked to the family and the institutional resources available for a young person. It uses Ruth Lister's typology of forms of agency as well as the concept of ‘bounded’ agency introduced by Karen Evans in 2007. Drawing on research focusing on the biographies and future hopes of young people involved in programmes offering targeted support, the paper aims to illustrate young people's attempts to take control of their complicated life situations in the areas of family life, peer relations, ...
65 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss issues concerning the implementation of quasi-market dynamics, the introduction of private interests and market rules in the provision of formal education at compulsory levels in the Spanish educational system.
Abstract: This paper discusses issues concerning the implementation of quasi-market dynamics, the introduction of private interests and market rules in the provision of formal education at compulsory levels in the Spanish educational system. It aims to discuss current neoliberal discourses and practices in Spain, suggesting new spaces to be considered in future education policy studies. In the paper, I discuss first the ideological sources on which the political action rests and sketch some basic principles developed by the market advocates in the Spanish case. Secondly, I analyse specific mechanisms implemented to guarantee a fertile ground for the establishment of market dynamics in the education system, which has facilitated a significant growth in the private provision in compulsory education levels throughout the last 30 years. The examples presented in this section refer to two specific regions, the autonomous communities of Andalusia and Madrid, traditionally governed by the socialist and conservative party,...
53 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of student representation in student engagement in higher education has been explored, and the authors conclude that representation can enhance engagement, but that its impact will be mediated by the willingness of the institution to adapt its procedures and processes.
Abstract: Student engagement is increasingly part of higher education rhetoric It is seen as a means for universities to understand and enhance the student experience This has been prompted by a number of potentially conflicting factors These include growing consumerism in higher education, the rise of user involvement and the notion of students as partners in education Despite this, student engagement in universities is under-researched and under-theorised This paper is based on an exploratory research project to consider the role of student representation in engagement It borrows from theory developed in the compulsory education sector to explore how course representatives occupy the ground between providing information for the university and offering a mechanism for students to work as partners in their education The paper concludes that representation can enhance engagement, but that its impact will be mediated by the willingness of the institution to adapt its procedures and processes
51 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the findings of the qualitative component of a combined methods research study that explores a range of individual and school factors that influence the uptake of chemistry and physics in post-compulsory study in England.
Abstract: This paper presents the findings of the qualitative component of a combined methods research study that explores a range of individual and school factors that influence the uptake of chemistry and physics in post-compulsory study in England The first phase involves using the National Pupil Database to provide a sampling frame to identify four matched pairs of high-uptake and low-uptake schools by salient school factors Case studies of these eight schools indicate that students employ selection strategies related to their career aspirations, their sense of identity and tactics, and their prior experience The school factors influencing subject choice relate to school management, student support and guidance, and student empowerment The most notable differences between students in high-uptake and low-uptake schools are that students in high-uptake schools appear to make a proactive choice in relation to career aspirations, rather than a reactive choice on the basis of past experience Schools with a high uptake offer a diverse science curriculum in the final two years of compulsory study, set higher examination entry requirements for further study and, crucially, provide a range of opportunities for students to interact with the world of work and to gain knowledge and experience of science-related careers
48 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a focus is on the persistent gendered divisions in educational routes of young people who choose a vocational path after compulsory education in Finland, and how gendered subjectivities are constructed within the practices of educational and vocational guidance and within student cultures in the comprehensive school.
Abstract: In this article our focus is on the persistent gendered divisions in educational routes of young people who choose a vocational path after compulsory education in Finland. We analyse how gendered subjectivities are constructed within the practices of educational and vocational guidance and within student cultures in the comprehensive school, as well as the way in which young people process understandings of themselves and their expectations during and after vocational education. In addition, we explore young people's ways to negotiate with disciplinary practices of the educational system. The paper draws on three ethnographic studies, and on feminist post-structural and materialist theories, intertwined with contextualised ethnographic perspectives. Our analysis reveals some patterns that might work as obstacles in the process towards reducing gender segregation in education and the labour market. We suggest that whilst gendered choices are sometimes taken for granted, gender dichotomy is often emphasised...
48 citations
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the impact of a one-year increase in compulsory school-age on dropping out of secondary education by a difference-in-differences analysis and found that the one year increase in the compulsory education age reduced dropout by 2.5 percentage points.
Abstract: A straightforward way to prevent students from leaving education without a higher secondary diploma is increasing the compulsory education age. The idea is that, by staying longer in school, more students eventually obtain a higher secondary diploma. This paper examines the impact of a one-year increase in compulsory school-age on dropping out of secondary education by a difference-in-differences analysis. For this, we exploit a recent compulsory education policy reform in the Netherlands. After controlling for confounding factors and observable covariates, we find that the one year increase in compulsory school-age reduces dropout by 2.5 percentage points. The effect, however, is entirely situated in the group non-liable to the policy reform. We observe that native Dutch vocational students, mostly without retention in grade, but also without a higher secondary diploma at hand, more often left school in the immediate period before the policy reform. Given the economic revival at that time, this may reflect anticipation of labor market opportunities.
48 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the factors that prevent slum children aged 5-14 from gaining access to schooling in light of the worsening urban poverty and sizable increase in rural-to-urban migration.
36 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a comparative review of the education reforms of the constituent countries of the UK, with particular focus on value for money, is presented, outlining the key differences in the educational systems in terms of school type, choice and competition, educational resources and pedagogy.
Abstract: Background Political devolution occurred in the UK in 1998–99, following many years in which some degree of policy administration had been devolved to the four nations. Since devolution, all four countries of the UK have pursued increasingly divergent education policies. This is true in England in particular, where diversity, choice and competition have become a key focus of education policy. This political divergence between the four nations gives us the opportunity to appraise differences and similarities in educational policies and outcomes in the four UK nations. Purpose This article is a comparative review of the education reforms of the constituent countries of the UK, with particular focus on value for money. The main aims of the article are to (1) outline the key differences in the educational systems in terms of school type, choice and competition, educational resources and pedagogy; (2) describe how the countries compare in terms of educational attainment during compulsory schooling years; (3) e...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors map the field of internal and external conditions that Swedish Home and Consumer Studies teachers and pupils have contend with, and present a questionnaire to map the external and internal conditions they have to contend with.
Abstract: The aim of the study was to map the field of internal and external conditions that Swedish Home and Consumer Studies teachers and pupils have contend with. A questionnaire was constructed and deliv ...
30 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the rationale for introducing the raising of the participation age (RPA) in learning in England from 2013 and assesses how, if fully implemented, it could contribute to improving the outcomes for young people who do not participate in any form of post-16 education, employment or training, and are currently defined as not in NEET.
Abstract: This paper considers the rationale for introducing the raising of the participation age (RPA) in learning in England from 2013 and assesses how, if fully implemented, it could contribute to improving the outcomes for young people who do not participate in any form of post-16 education, employment or training, and are currently defined as not in education, employment or training (NEET). It considers previous experience of extending young people’s participation in learning, both in the UK and overseas, and draws on evidence from the author’s research on a recent policy initiative targeted at the NEET group. The piloting of activity agreements explored the value of offering a financial incentive, tailored learning and intensive support as mechanisms to re-engage young people in post-16 education, employment or training. Faced by a lack of enforcement; the necessary levels of investment in support mechanisms to engage with young people and to sustain their participation in learning; and innovative approaches ...
15 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe relationships between perceived motivational climate, perceived competence, commitment and anxiety in a sample of physical education students; and analyses differences found according to the compulsory nature of education.
Abstract: KEYWORDS: Motivational climate, Compulsory nature of education, Physical education. ABSTRACT: This study describes relationships between perceived motivational climate, perceived competence, commitment and anxiety in a sample of physical education students; and analyses differences found according to the compulsory nature of education. 1587 students, aged 12-18 years ( M = 15.26; SD = 1.61) completed the Spanish versions of PMCSQ-2 ( Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionaire-2 ) and AMPET ( Achievement Motivation in Physical Education Test ). Results showed differences depending on the compulsory nature of education in anxiety, in which compulsory education students got higher scores than non-compulsory ones. Correlation and regression analyses showed greater consistency in baccalaureate students than ones in compulsory secondary education. In both groups it was found that an ego involving climate was the best predictor of perceived competence and anxiety; while a task involving climate was the best predictor of commitment. Results suggest the compulsory nature of education could be a variable to take into consideration in the study of students' motivational profile.
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of discourses on New Public Management (NPM) on compulsory schooling in Switzerland during the last two decades and traces its implementation in the Canton of Bern.
Abstract: This article reviews the impact of discourses on ‘New Public Management’ (NPM) on compulsory schooling in Switzerland during the last two decades and traces its implementation in the Canton of Bern. The analysis suggests that while NPM reformers initially promoted increased school autonomy, the introduction of market elements and school choice, the focus subsequently shifted to a concern with school management, supervision and accountability. NPM-guided reforms led to the introduction of headteachers and quality management procedures in a majority of cantons. Ethnographic research in the Canton of Bern shows that NPM-influenced decentralisation policy results in a growing standardisation of schools' conditions and processes. Additionally, lay school boards as traditional, democratically legitimised bodies of local supervision are coming under threat.
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the right of children to education in international law and Chinese domestic legislation has been discussed, and the genealogy of the right to education has been investigated in international and Chinese law.
Abstract: 3 Charts and Illustrations 6 Acknowledgements 7 Dedication 8 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 9 1.1 Background to this research 9 1.2 Definitions and clarification 16 1.2.1 Internal migrant workers 16 1.2.2 Internal rural migrant children 17 1.2.3 Rights to education and duties of providing it in international law and Chinese domestic legislation 18 1.3 Research questions 27 1.4 Methodology 27 1.4.1 The legal framework 27 1.4.2 The experience of migrant children 28 1.4.3 Barriers hindering attainment of the ‘4As’ 31 1.5 Literature review 32 1.6 Structure of the thesis 35 CHAPTER TWO: THE RIGHT OF CHILDREN TO EDUCATION: THE INTERNATIONAL AND CHINESE NATIONAL LEGAL ARCHITECTURE 37 2.1 Outline of Chapter 2 37 2.2 Recognition of the protection of the right to education in international legal instruments 38 2.2.1 The genealogy of the right to education in international law 38 2.2.2 Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability of the right to education in international law 48 2.2.3 Conclusions on the right to education in international law 72 2.3 Recognition of the need to protect the right to education in national Chinese law 74 2.3.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provided evidence on the socioeconomic gradient in dropout and progression in upper secondary education in Norway using a rich data set covering all students transferring from compulsory education to higher education in 2002.
Abstract: a b s t r a c t This paper provides evidence on the socioeconomic gradient in dropout and progression in upper secondary education in Norway Using a rich data set covering all students transferring from compulsory education to upper secondary education in 2002, we find that student achievement at the end of compulsory education is the main predictor of dropout and delayed progression The socioeconomic gradient is sensitive to the inclusion of prior achievement in the model We find that the gradient is modest and non-linear, and related to dropout behavior and not grade repetition The results are remarkably robust to controlling for a full set of school fixed effects
Book•
01 May 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, a permanent issue in compulsory education is how to promote students' active working in the classroom, even if group work is used as one type of working method as a means fo...
Abstract: A permanent issue in compulsory education is how to promote students’ active working in the classroom. Even if group work is used as one type of working method in compulsory education as a means fo ...
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the status and awareness on the part of schools and concern authority to provide free elementary education to the children aging between six to fourteen years of old was examined in some rural schools of Haryana.
Abstract: 'Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. (Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights). This UN recommendation has been reinforced in the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act (2009), which came into effect in India on 1 April 2010, enshrining in law for the first time the rights of all Indian children aged between six and 14 years to free and compulsory elementary education regardless of caste, class, gender, etc. The RTE Act, though deserves due credit for laying down in fairly specific terms state’s responsibility towards education, it would be appropriate to examine the status and awareness on the part of schools and concern authority to provide free elementary education to the children aging between six to fourteen years of old. Present research study has tried to explore the status of the implementation, awareness and understanding of the provisions of RTE amongst teachers, parents and children in some rural schools of Haryana. Two years have already passed since implementation of the RTE Act in Haryana but so far there has been some progress only in terms of enrollment/basic infrastructure but towards guaranteeing quality education in terms of student learning the state has not achieved much. Same is the case with regard to its awareness and understanding among its various stakeholders. By providing some recommendations and further scope of research the paper calls for an urgent intervention by the government to strengthen the operational aspect of the Act in the state.
TL;DR: In this article, the Nordic curriculum has been viewed as a document with school subjects in focus, and two national curricula function as instruments for governing education and explore the possible differences in how national curriculum govern education.
Abstract: Traditionally, the Nordic curriculum has been viewed as a document with school subjects in focus. This article reports on how two national curricula function as instruments for governing education and explores the possible differences in how national curricula govern education. This investigation was carried out by researching curricula for compulsory schools in Norway (2006) and Finland (2004). In Norway, the governing that emphasises output mechanisms is compared to Finland where the governing is distributed in a more intricate manner at three identified levels. All three levels in the hierarchical legal levels (Act, Regulation and circular letters) are directly activated in the formal rule system, whereas only the two first levels, as part of the formal rule system, are used within the Finnish curriculum decision-making structure. A second finding is that a consequence of the use of the formal rule system is that, at the higher level of the legal status, legitimacy is acquired through a process of essential voices being heard in the process of creating the curricula. Unlike the Finnish curriculum, the Norwegian curriculum does not have the same level of democratic procedures behind it concerning consultation over the content. Keywords: curriculum, governing instrument, Norway, Finland, comparative research (Published: 06 December 2013) Citation: Education Inquiry (EDUI) 2013, 4 , 23219, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/edui.v4i4.23219
TL;DR: It is argued that even though the alternative courses respond to many features that may represent educational purposes, this is altogether not enough for the courses to qualify as education, and a tighter connection to the curriculum is necessary.
Abstract: Counteracting upper secondary dropouts is an increasingly common issue across the Western part of the world. In Norway, the government has developed different measures to counteract dropouts, one of which concerns alternative educational courses involving increased workplace practice. This article is based on interviews with eight students who participate in the alternative course. The narratives show an identity shift from being outsiders in compulsory education to being participants in the alternative course, something which inspires to learn and installs in the students a hope for the future. This article discusses how and to what extent the alternative courses respond to the purpose of education. We argue that even though the alternative courses respond to many features that may represent educational purposes, this is altogether not enough for the courses to qualify as education. For the courses to qualify as education, a tighter connection to the curriculum is necessary. If the educational system doe...
TL;DR: In the Czech Republic, student assessment is still rather traditional, with classroom practice continuing to focus on summative assessment as discussed by the authors, and the country has regularly participated in international student assessment competitions.
Abstract: Student assessment in the Czech Republic is still rather traditional, with classroom practice continuing to focus on summative assessment. The country has regularly participated in international su...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the NEP (Revised New Ecological Paradigm) and statistical cluster-analysis to explore if individuals within cohorts of students could reasonably be clustered into subgroups with identified sustainability attributes relevant to the design of learner-support programmes.
Abstract: – The aim of this paper is to respond to calls for higher education institutions to address sustainability within the curriculum. Institutions that aim to graduate citizens with prescribed attributes relevant to sustainability may need to develop teaching and learning support‐programmes appropriate to the varied nature of students' worldviews., – The research described here used the NEP (Revised New Ecological Paradigm) and statistical cluster‐analysis to explore if individuals within cohorts of students could reasonably be clustered into subgroups with identified sustainability attributes relevant to the design of learner‐support programmes., – All seven programme cohorts in one institution's annual intake clustered into three subgroups with identifiable attributes., – The results are discussed in relation to how post‐compulsory education institutions can define the sustainability characteristics of their students and to the pedagogic literature that addresses diversity in student groups., – The approach may help higher education institutions better understand the needs of individual students within large groups and to develop appropriate support programmes for students with similar attributes and needs.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted interviews with 12 designated teachers for looked after children and four virtual school heads, as part of the first stage of a three-year longitudinal study following 20 looked-after children in England from years 11-13 (ages 15-18).
Abstract: Purpose – There has been little research on the education of looked after children over the current school leaving age of 16, although the underperformance of this cohort at Key Stage 4 (age 14‐16) has been the subject of considerable academic commentary. This paper aims to contribute to understanding of the ways in which looked after young people nearing the end of compulsory education can be supported and encouraged to continue in education and training.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were undertaken with 12 designated teachers for looked after children and four virtual school heads, as part of the first stage of a three‐year longitudinal study following 20 looked after children in England from years 11‐13 (ages 15‐18).Findings – Participants identified particular challenges in ensuring a successful educational transition for looked after young people in year 11 and expressed concern at the cumulative effect of multiple transitions at this stage on young people's lives. There appears, however, ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the association between minimum age of employment and secondary school enrolment in 185 states in 2008 and 2012 and found that a minimum age for employment of 15 or higher was associated with increased secondary enrollment for girls, boys, and overall.
TL;DR: In this paper, Nel Noddings's Happiness and Education and the problem of an increased measuring of early childhood education aims and outcomes has been discussed, and it is argued that removal of seams between early childhood and primary education may lead to unhappiness in early-childhood education characterised by increasing standardisation and regulation and decreasing engagement with the aims of education.
Abstract: Recent government attention to the coherence between early childhood and compulsory school curricula in Aotearoa/New Zealand has led to debates regarding the educational aims of different education sectors Concerns regarding a ‘push-down’ of compulsory school aims are highlighted in this article, with reference to Nel Noddings’s Happiness and Education and the problem of an increased ‘measuring’ of early childhood education aims and outcomes It is argued that removal of seams between early childhood and primary education may lead to unhappiness in early childhood education characterised by increasing standardisation and regulation and decreasing engagement with the aims of education—with, in Noddings’s words, ‘aims-talk’
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the supply factors that influence the use of child labour in agriculture and some of the policy implications and highlighted the important factors that push children into the work force highlighted in this paper are family poverty, larger household size, lack of accessible and quality education, culture or family traditions and HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Abstract: Child labour is one of the faces of poverty and is a great concern in many developing countries Nigeria inclusive. There is a paucity of information on child labour among the rural poor in Southern Nigeria. This study attempts to fill this lacuna by examining some issues and facts on child labour. This paper reviews the supply factors that influence the use of child labour in agriculture and some of the policy implications. Among the important factors that push children into the work force highlighted in this paper are family poverty, larger household size, lack of accessible and quality education, culture or family traditions and HIV/AIDS pandemic. The major factor influencing the supply of child labour in agriculture is poverty. Families with larger number of children are more susceptible to give their children to work in order to augment family income. Although there is free and compulsory education policy in most countries including Nigeria, and the enrolment rate in public schools has increased. The cost of a child's education is not equal to zero for the poorest of poor rural households when there is free education. Parents are unable to send their children to school when direct costs of uniform, transportation to and from school, books, and writing materials need to be supplied from meagre to household income. Children's social and cultural background also play an important role in their participation in work and educational opportunities. This study underscores the need for government at all levels and development stakeholders to mainstream child labour considerations in relevant development and management policies, strategies, programmes and plans and to effectively tackle child labour, and create a pathway for the elimination of child labour.
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: The Primary Education Act, passed in 1920 by the German Weimar Republic and introducing both compulsory education and common attendance of elementary school for four years, can be considered as the essential milestone on the road to modern schooling as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Primary Education Act, passed in 1920 by the German Weimar Republic and introducing both compulsory education and common attendance of elementary school for four years, can be considered as the essential milestone on the road to modern schooling. Previously, parents had merely been obliged to give their children some (possibly private) lessons. Introducing compulsory education also compelled the state to provide a sufficient number of schools in the quality required (cf. e.g. Nevermann & Schulze-Scharnhorst, 1987, p. 82). The common primary school replaced the “column-principle”, where children from different social strata were assigned to different types of education from pre-school onwards by a “fork principle”, with this split first occurring after four years of shared education in primary school.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tackle the issues from a historical perspective and discuss two concepts often addressed for understanding certain aspects of mass schooling -school form and grammar of schooling -to shed a new light on the matter.
Abstract: During the nineteenth century many European countries proclaimed sovereignty of the people and simultaneously founded their national educational systems. In order to provide public schooling, free and compulsory education was established. Political and sociocultural revolutions led to the rise of nation states, based on democratic or democratic-inspired aspirations, that then turned into 'teacher states'. Mass schooling and the worldwide - and furthermore enforced - dissemination of this schooling model characterise the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. How can one best describe the concrete process of mass schooling? How should it be analysed, and what are the appropriate concepts to do so? How did nations contribute to its dissemination? By tackling these issues from a historical perspective and discussing, in particular, two concepts often addressed for understanding certain aspects of mass schooling - 'school form' and 'grammar of schooling' - the contributions of this volume shed a new light on the matter.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors test whether these reforms are correlated to changes in school quality, and school quality is an omitted variable, and find that they cannot reject the internal validity of this popular identification strategy.
Abstract: In the large empirical literature that investigates the causal effects of education on outcomes such as health,
wages and crime, it is customary to measure education with years of schooling, and to identify these effects using the exogenous variation provided by school reforms increasing compulsory education and minimum school leaving age. If these reforms are correlated to changes in school quality, and school quality is an omitted variable, this identification strategy may fail. We test whether this is the case by using the information provided by two distinct test scores on mathematics and reading and find that we cannot reject the internal validity of this popular identification strategy.
12 Mar 2013
TL;DR: According to the 2008 National Report on the Living Status of the Disabled in China (Office of China's Disability Union, Institute of Studies on Population at Beijing University, National Statistics Institute), the inclusion of 6 to 15- year-olds with disabilities in regular classrooms has remained unchanged in 2008 in comparison to 2007.
Abstract: IntroductionChina is the third largest country in the world. It has 23 provinces including four directcontrolled municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing), five autonomous regions (Tibet, Guangxi, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia), and two special administrative regions, namely Hong Kong and Macau. The twelve provinces located in the western part of China include the world's highest and biggest plateau (Tibetan plateau), China's biggest dessert (Xingjiang province) and grasslands (Inner Mongolia); they cover about half of the total land area of China, while less than one third of China's population live in these areas (China's West). More than two thirds of population lives in the southeastern part of China, where the economy is more developed and the majority of metropolitan areas are located.Every citizen in the People's Republic of China should receive a free, nine-year, compulsory education starting at age six. The five- or six-year elementary school education and threeyear junior high school education are compulsory education, while the three-year high school education is not. Besides, there are also agricultural or technical schools that are equivalent to the three-year senior high school education. In China early childhood education is not mandated. In eastern coastal areas where the economy is more developed and most metropolitan areas are located, there are more high quality preschools and kindergartens and there are some special facilities for young children with special needs, while in the rural, undeveloped western areas there are fewer early childhood facilities for preschoolers and kindergartners and no such special services available for young children with special needs. The free, nine-year compulsory education also applies to children with disabilities, who will be placed either in inclusive classrooms (suibanjiudu), special classes in regular schools, or special schools.As the most populous country around the world, China has a population of 1.3 billion, among whom 6.34% (82 million) are with different types of disabilities (China Network). This, however, reflects a lower prevalence of disabilities than in some other countries (Katsiyannis, Yell, and Bradley 288-99). This discrepancy results from the fact that learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, language impairments and other health impairment are not considered as disability categories in China, while all of these have been considered disability categories in US and many European countries such as Holland and Poland (Deng, Poon-McBrayer, and Farnsworth 288-99; Qian). According to China Network, among those with disabilities, 12 million or 14.86% were diagnosed with visual impairment, 20 million or 24.1% with hearing impairment, 1.2 million or 1.5% with language impairment, 24 million or 29% with physical disabilities, making it the largest disability group, 5.5 million or 6.68% with mental retardation, 6.1 million or 7.4% with emotional disorders, and 13 million or 16.3% with multiple disabilities. These figures are suspect. There is "a lack of diagnostic technologies and experienced professionals" (Deng, Poon-McBrayer, and Farnsworth 293) in China and the diagnostic instruments adopted in China have cultural biases.According to the 2008 National Report on the Living Status of the Disabled in China (Office of China's Disability Union, Institute of Studies on Population at Beijing University, National Statistics Institute), the inclusion of 6 to 15- year-olds with disabilities in regular classrooms has remained unchanged in 2008 in comparison to 2007 (see Table 1). So is the inclusion of 6 to 18-year-olds with disabilities in general elementary, junior and senior high schools. However, the enrollment of 6 to18- year-olds with disabilities in special education schools or special education classrooms in regular schools has increased from 5.0% in 2007 to 6.2% in 2008 nationwide (see Table 2). Besides education, the access to health care and social life has also increased in recent years. …
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the pattern of enrollment in the Nigerian universities and made projection for the academic staff and student for the future years, which showed that enrollment of 1,417,080 is expected in the universities in 2010, while in the year 2020 the enrollment will be 5,732,878.
Abstract: Student enrollment in Nigerian universities has grown tremendously in the past one decade due to the increased demand for university education. The new development could be attributed to the policy of free, universal and compulsory education at the primary to junior secondary, coupled with the high population of Nigeria, with an annual growth rate of 3.2%. This has given rise to the school enrollment in the universities. Nevertheless, there are strong indications that the trend in demand for and supply of university education seems not to match, so also are the resources available in the universities (human, facilities and fund). For this paper, data on the existing student enrollment trend and academic staff on roll were collected through checklist from records of relevant bodies. The data were analyzed through extrapolation equation and staff-student ratio for each discipline. This study examined the pattern of enrollment in the Nigerian universities and made projection for the academic staff and student for the future years. The results showed that enrollment of 1,417,080 is expected in the universities in 2010, while in the year 2020 the enrollment will be 5,732,878. The corresponding ideal number of academic staff required will be 70,854 and 286,644 for 2010 and 2020 respectively. It was suggested that proactive actions should be taken by the managements and councils of the various universities at meeting the demand-supply staff needs of the university system. Introduction Making projection in education has been regarded as the centerpiece of quantitative aspect of educational planning. As such, educational planners are to be grounded in the techniques of making projection. Projection informs the educational planner of a future pattern and trend of education parameters, especially the resource requirements in the educational system. These include enrollment, staffing, facilities, funding, etc. Projection also acquaints the institutional managers with the number of students and staff that would be expected in the system at a future period, assuming no change occurs in the educational system. Projection in the educational system is therefore, a conditional forecast based on explicit assumptions and it holds true if the assumptions are realized (Nwankwo, 1981). All levels of education require timely projection of resources for an effective operation and sustainable development. According to (Mehta (2004). projections are conditional statements about the future and they refer mostly to the exercises of extrapolation of the past trends into the future, which oftentimes do not take into account changes in the policy parameters, nor take into account changes in the government policies, programs, etc. in projecting the future population growth. Often times the reliability and usefulness of projections depend on the assumptions and their closeness to reality. In Nigeria, university education has grown into a complex system over the years. The structure, program and management are all affected. The resource inputs have also grown tremendously. The numbers of universities, the enrollment and staff have all gone up in comparison to the situation during the pre-Independence era. The number of the nation’s universities have increased from one University College in 1948 to one hundred