Many scholars argue that the practice of educational tracking exerts a distinct effect on young people's political engagement. They point out that students in academic tracks are becoming more politically engaged than those than those in vocational ones, and suggest that this may be due to differences across tracks in the curriculum, pedagogy,…

Increasing the number of tertiary graduates has been a priority on the political agenda of the EU for some years. The focus has mainly been on academic courses though, with less emphasis on the role of vocational education and training. International educational statistics indeed show a clear increase in the number of persons completing tertiary…

An increasing number of autistic students attend mainstream secondary schools in both France and Quebec. The importance of considering their views on subjects that affect their daily life is now well established in education research. Still, little is known about how these students cope with specific aspects of inclusion. This article explores the…

This article examines how girls and boys choose their tertiary field of study and how the different factors driving their choices contribute to gender segregation in higher education (GSHE) in France. We present seven theoretical explanations for GSHE, review the relevant literature and discuss their applicability to the French context. Using rich…

This paper presents the preliminary findings of a case study of the merger of two higher education institutions in France. The paper's main focus is not the politics that gave rise to the institutional merger, nor the rights or wrongs of the decision, nor the merger process itself; rather, it is the extent to and the ways in which these features…

This article analyses whether graduates in university vocational courses benefited from better labour market outcomes in France than those in academic courses. We focus on bachelor degrees in France, comparing "general" or "academic" degrees with "vocational" degrees. The vocational bachelor degree was created in 1999…

Examines how Australia and France are preparing youth for successful transition to employment in a rapidly changing world. Traces the historical development of technical/vocational education and general/liberal education. Highlights how Australia has tackled the problem of high and low status educational pathways and how the French Baccalaureat…

The institutional divisions between academic and technical education at the secondary level in France are analyzed. A brief account of the development of French technical education is also provided, and how pressures from certain social groups have affected both academic and technical education is discussed. (RM)