This edited collection takes as its theme a subject topical not only in Britain, where a spate of laws and regulations has affected the structure and content of education available in this country, but also in developed and developing countries, where the overriding motivation has been to raise economic performance. The first part of the book deals with the way legislation affects education and training both directly and tangently, and how the law, through its influence on such things as participation rates, certification and employer involvement, can affect the level and degree of economic activity. The USA, Japan, Germany, France, Nigeria, Kenya and the UK are examined in detail to illustrate the inter-relationship of the elements involved. The second part is concerned with the concept of curriculum control. Responsibility for what is taught in the classroom is viewed comparatively, this is followed by an analysis of the parts played by the state, headteachers, governors, parents and pupils. The implications of tight legal controls over both content and delivery of the curriculum are examined. Contributors are drawn from various parts of the education system.