Thematic Review of the First Years of Tertiary Education - Home Page

The thematic review of the first years of tertiary education, was organised as part of the regular programme of education policy reviews. This thematic review had as its purposes:

• to look into how to accommodate large volume participation at this level (now the norm in
  OECD countries);
• how to ensure that tertiary-level learning options appropriately and effectively meet the needs and interests of learners as well as the demands from the economy and society;
• how to address the competing demands and constraints on public and private budgets in
  meeting the costs.

Twelve countries participated in this thematic review (Australia, Belgium [Flemish Community], Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States [Commonwealth of Virginia]) with "Country Notes" for all but France being available. [The views expressed are those of the review teams. They do not commit the OECD or the countries concerned.] A comparative report, prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of the findings of the review teams and other available information, was published by the OECD in 1998 under the title Redefining Tertiary Education.

• Australia Country Note
• Belgium (Flemish Community) Country Note
• Denmark Country Note
• Germany Country Note
• Japan Country Note
• New Zealand Country Note
• Norway Country Note
• Portugal Country Note
• Sweden Country Note
• United Kingdom Country Note
• United States (Commonwealth of Virginia) Country Note