The English School Reforms: Competition, Innovation and Fragmentation

The last 30 years have seen efforts by successive governments, of different political persuasions, to improve the English education system. Common to all of these reform efforts is a concern to close the gap in attainment between students from economically disadvantaged students and their peers, although the approaches tried have varied considerably. More recently, they have involved an increased emphasis on the idea of allowing schools greater autonomy within a policy context based on market forces as the main improvement strategy. In this chapter, we analyse these developments in order to draw lessons for those in other countries who are interested in promoting greater equity within their national education systems. This leads us to argue that whilst school autonomy can be a positive force—particular where it encourages teachers to work together in exploring more inclusive practices—it requires coordination at the local level and the introduction of accountability arrangements that provide space for experimentation, as well as resources to promote the professional development of teachers

Towards internationally acceptable standards for food additives and contaminants based on the use of risk analysis

Internationally acceptable norms need to incorporate sound science and consistent risk management principles in an open and transparent manner, as set out in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement). The process of risk analysis provides a procedure to reach these goals. The interaction between risk assessors and risk managers is considered vital to this procedure. This paper reports the outcome of a meeting of risk assessors and risk managers on specific aspects of risk analysis and its application to international standard setting for food additives and contaminants. Case studies on aflatoxins and aspartame were used to identify the key steps of the interaction process which ensure scientific justification for risk management decisions. A series of recommendations were proposed in order to enhance the scientific transparency in these critical phases of the standard setting procedure. Chemicals/CAS: aflatoxin, 1402-68-2; aspartame, 22839-47-0, 5910-52-

Who Technical Report Series: Evaluation Of Certain Food Additives

[No abstract available]9281156(1956) Joint FAO/WHO Conference on Food Additives, , Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, (FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, No. 11)Geneva, World Health Organization, 1956 (WHO Technical Report Series, No. 107)(1987) Principles for the Safety Assessment of Food Additives and Contaminants in Food, , Geneva, World Health Organization, (WHO Environmental Health Criteria, No. 70)Hydroxyethylidine diphosphonic acid: Exemption from the requirement of a tolerance (1998) Federal Register, 63, pp. 28253-28258(1999) Opinion on Stevioside As a Sweetener, , Scientific Committee on Food, CS/ADD/EDUL/167 final, 17 June(1967) Evaluations of Some Pesticide Residues in Food, , Geneva, World Health Organization, (WHO Food Add./67.32)(1968) Evaluations of Some Pesticide Residues in Food, , Geneva, World Health Organization, (WHO Food Add./68/30