Search Results

This report arises from a visit by the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to Denmark during which Danish officials from the Ministries of Education and Labour met to discuss the financing of lifelong learning. Developments in lifelong learning initiatives in Denmark are outlined. Financial arrangements which support lifelong learning practices are discussed. Denmark's 'taximeter' system of funding is outlined. It is concluded that Denmark's current system of lifelong learning and the associated costs are satisfactory. Sections in the report include: What do we mean by lifelong learning, why is it important, and who does it involve?; What are the operational objectives of the lifelong learning policy and what are their implications for outlays and financing?; What is being done to increase the cost-effectiveness and quality of learning opportunities in order to strengthen the incentives for different actors to invest in and thereby make lifelong learning more affordable?; What mechanisms enhance the financial capacity of various actors to invest in lifelong learning and what mechanisms encourage providers of lifelong learning to offer more opportunities thereby making lifelong learning more affordable?; What distributional issues arise in the current arrangements for lifelong learning? Show less

This document reports on a study that had four main objectives: (1) to estimate the level of expenditure by individuals on training in the private college sector; (2) to identify the nature if the courses undertaken by these individuals; (3) to identify the profile of these individuals; and (4) to understand the nature and extent of the private college sector involvement in training provision. The findings of the study highlighted a large and growing private college sector and a high demand by individuals, particularly those in employment, to invest in their own training. The study suggests that the sector could play an even more significant role in the provision of training if consideration is given to issues of access to training, support for students, improvement in quality of training, regulation of providers through a registration process, and better information in the public domain about the quality of institutions, training opportunities and their vocational implications. Show less

This briefing has been produced for the Enterprise and Culture Committee to assist in its inquiry into the ‘Impact of England’s University fees on Scottish Higher Education’. It should be read in conjunction with Briefing 03/68, ‘Methods of funding higher education’ (indexed at TD/TNC 76.175), which looks at global trends and funding figures for higher education in various systems throughout the world. After briefly outlining the extent of higher education in Scotland, this paper will summarise the proposals contained within the English White Paper, ‘The future of higher education’ (Department for Education and Skills), before looking at the levels of funding for higher education institutions in Scotland and England. The paper will also look at some of the potential key issues that may be of interest to the Committee inquiry.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright holder. Show less

This document provides a brief description of the context for, and use of, the ETF Financing Prism, and includes a call for evidence regarding the development and implementation of VET financing policies, as well as the use of the prism itself. The components of the prism are described in detail, and a series of steps is outlined which can be used to organise the policy dialogue. This document concludes that the critical success factors are familiarity with the ETF Financing Prism, forward planning, and a steady level of political will.

Abstract from publisher's website. Show less

This report provides a comparison of the English and Australian higher education funding systems, specifically the student loan arrangements. The report focuses on four themes: entitlement; default rates; the balance between public and private contributions; and repayment. The report concludes that there are remarkable similarities, as well as important differences, between the Australian and English higher education systems, and Australia's approach to higher education provides an excellent opportunity for British policymakers to learn from the experience of another country with a comparable system.

Excerpts from publication Show less

'The Australian TAFE teacher' is the official journal of the TAFE Division of the Australian Education Union (AEU). This issue highlights National TAFE Day to be held on 19 June 2018 and the issue of TAFE funding. 'New figures quantify the extent of the TAFE disaster' by Leesa Wheelahan (pages 6-7) takes a close look at how TAFEs are being funded and the effects of underfunding. Also included is a four-page section, 'TAFE funding: the continuing crisis' (pages 15-18), that looks at TAFE funding, government payments to the private sector, contestable funding, job losses, campus closures, and the Skilling Australia Fund. This issue also includes information from the National TAFE Council Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Melbourne in April 2018: the AGM statement (pages 24-25); and edited versions of speeches given to the AGM by Senator Doug Cameron on the importance of TAFE (pages 19-22) and Mark Burgess on the role of TAFE as the cornerstone of a quality vocational training sector (page 29). Other articles in this issue include: In defence of basket weaving (pages 8-9); Working towards the Commission of Inquiry (pages 10-11); TAFE represents hope / Pat Forward (page 12); Making TAFE [part one] / John Pardy (pages 13-14); Hui-a-Motu: TEU's Maori voice / Michelle Purdy (page 23); Defending TAFE: perspectives from manufacturing / Ian Curry (pages 26-28).

Edited excerpts from publication with additional information. Show less

The OECD education indicators enable countries to compare their educational performance with that of other countries. This publication provides a broad, comparable and current selection of educational indicators that provide information on the output of educational institutions and the impact of learning, the policy that shapes educational outcomes and how education systems operate and evolve, and the human and financial resources invested in education. The focus of this edition is on the quality of learning outcomes and the policy levers that shape them. The volume includes a comparative overview of student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy as well as of students’ civic engagement and attitudes. In addition to national performance levels, the overview also examines issues of equity in learning outcomes and opportunities as well as the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education. New information on student learning conditions, including the learning climate in the classroom and the use of information technology in education as well as on teacher working conditions provide a better understanding of key determinants of educational success. Finally, for many indicators, a significantly larger number of OECD countries are now providing data. Through the World Education Indicators program, a wide range of non-member countries have also contributed to this edition so that the coverage of some of the indicators extends to almost two-thirds of the world population. The four major chapters examine the outcomes of education and learning, the financial and human resources invested in education, access to education and participation and progression through the education system, and the learning environment and organisation of schools.

The companion volume ‘Education policy analysis’ (indexed at TD/TNC 72.300) takes up selected themes of key importance for governments. Show less

This chapter examines the ways in which human resource management (HRM) has become an instrument for the management of change imposed on further and higher education (FHE) institutions by the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992. FHE institutions were obliged to introduce some form of HRM in order to deal with the financial, curricular and staffing demands of the new market culture. The authors argue that these HRM practices have been used as a legitimate means of driving down staffing costs. The conclusion is that this approach raises serious questions about the quality of learning that takes place in some areas of postcompulsory provision.

The volume of collected papers is indexed at TD/INT 61.315. Show less

People are changing what it means to be a learner, and, through their actions, driving a fundamental transformation in education that will, over time, impact all education institutions and their partners. Higher education institutions are uniquely qualified to chart the new lifelong learning models that are needed today and in the future. This paper addresses three key learner-centric principles that the authors believe will underpin the future of post-secondary education: (1) enabling continuous learning; (2) working toward a system which distributes the investment in learning throughout the course of a life; and (3) delivering outcomes-based learning that closes the divide between 'learning for its own sake' and 'learning for employment'. In the remainder of the paper, the authors discuss these three principles, sharing evidence from the Global Learner Survey [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 138.356] and elsewhere, to identify possible positive steps forward for those in the education system.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Slow repayment of student loans means people hold loans for extended periods, resulting in higher costs to the government. Understanding the characteristics of the people who are likely to repay slowly provides information that can help shape policy on the student support system. This report looks at people who used the Student Loan Scheme (SLS) and left tertiary study between 2000 and 2006, and focuses on those who make slow progress towards repaying their loans. It focuses on four cohorts of student loan borrowers, divided into two categories: (1) borrowers who left study in 2000, 2002 or 2004, before the introduction of interest-free loans for all New Zealand-based borrowers from April 2006; and (2) borrowers who left study in 2006, following the introduction of the interest-free student loans policy. It profiles those borrowers who made little or no progress in reducing their loans post-study. It also looks at the characteristics of borrowers who were always New-Zealand-based after leaving study in 2006, and whose income was consistently below the student loan repayment threshold over the next three years. Slow repayers are more likely to: be over 50 years old during their last study year; have studied below degree level; have failed to complete a qualification; have studied in fields where lower level courses were predominant, such as food and hospitality, society and culture, or creative arts; and be Maori or Pasifika. Borrowers who were overseas-based for a period after study were much more likely to be slow in repaying, compared with those New Zealand-based borrowers. The study also looked at New Zealand-based borrowers who were below the income threshold for student loan repayments for the first three years after leaving tertiary study. They were broadly associated with many of the same characteristics as the slow repayers in 2006.

Excerpts from publication. Show less