Freedom, autonomy and accountability are commonly regarded as very important, but policy-makers do not always pay sufficient attention to the tensions among them. Thus freedom or school autonomy may be sacrificed to accountability, or accountability may be weakened in an effort to provide a wider range of choices for parents, or to give more decision-making authority to individual schools. The authors are convinced that wise design and implementation can produce a successful balance among freedom, autonomy, and accountability, and that considering the approaches adopted by different educational systems can contribute both to design and to implementation. This four volume collection presents a worldwide overview of the status of freedom, autonomy, and accountability in education, with detailed information on forty countries. This publication is a useful reference manual for students, government officials, educational lawyers and policy-makers. Volume 1provided general essays on historical and legal background and comparative perspective on these issues. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Charles Glenn and Jan De Groof Historical Overview of State and Schools Charles Glenn Legal Framework Jan De Groof Educational Freedom and Religion Charles Glenn Educational Freedom and Culture Charles Glenn Right to Education Ingo Richter Funding Ashley Berner Decentralization and Accountability Genc Alimehmeti Teachers Bruce Cooper Admission of Pupils C.W. Noorlander Homeschooling Michael Donnelly Distinctive Religious Character Merilin Kiviorg Values Charles Glenn Overview: Asia Fatt Hee Tie and Fong Peng Chew Overview: Africa Andre Keet Overview: Eastern Europe Maria Smirnova Overview: Latin America Jorge Alberto Mahecha Rodríguez