Education in the European Union: Volume I is a comprehensive critical reference guide to education in Western Europe, covering countries that made up the European Union from its foundation to the signing of the Nice Agreement in 2003. It covers: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. The chapters, written by regional experts, offer a review of contemporary national and regional educational structures and policies, research innovation and trends, as well as covering selected issues and problems including the effects of educational reform and systemic changes within the school and university systems, minority languages, and intercultural changes for indigenous and new immigrant populations.

Argues for the financial backing from governments and industry for adult education and will help adult and community educators draw comparisons between their own work and that of their colleagues in other developed countries.

Argues for the financial backing from governments and industry for adult education and will help adult and community educators draw comparisons between their own work and that of their colleagues in other developed countries. This book should be of interest to adult and international academics/practitioners.

The volume provides a comprehensive reference resource for education in the countries that joined the European Union between the signing of the Treaty of Nice to the present time: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Many of these countries have previously been under the influence of the Soviet Union and are moving through transitional phases towards more western models. The chapters in this volume, written by regional experts, examine the educational heritage of these countries and how these education systems evolved in response to changing national needs, European agreements including the Treaty of Nice and The Bologna Process, and international evaluations such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The chapters on Cyprus and Malta show the very special circumstances of these two Mediterranean islands and the international influences that have underpinned their developments in education.