The aim of this article is to situate the teaching body of the "écoles d'arts et métiers" in their historical context in nineteenth-century France, and to discuss the history of the specificity of teaching in technical schools. The success of this form of vocational education is commonly ascribed to the prominence it gave to manual work.…

International cooperation is high on the agenda of policy makers in times of globalisation and shared challenges such as climate change, poverty, equity or digitalisation. The present paper investigates strategies and actors involved in international cooperation policy in the field of vocational education and training within the francophone area.…

The results of a 3-year fieldwork study within France's National Centre for Distance Education are presented, specifically detailing the impacts on higher education middle management overseeing curricula design for a series of French 3-year degree programs undergoing revision in how students are financially charged for the programs. Following the…

Understanding today's Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems requires a comprehension of the rise and development, i.e. of the foundations of topical VET. This book provides a comparative view of its development in Europe. The contributions of renowned authors give insight into conceptual questions, cases, and challenges in this field.

Many religious orders and congregations that were deported from France between 1904 and 1914 established themselves in neighbouring countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Spain). One of the affected congregations was "Los Hermanos de las Escuelas Cristianas," which worked in the field of popular education. Many of its members found…

While Article 128 of the Treaty of Rome very clearly states that a common policy for vocational training should be developed, this policy has never come to fruition. This is largely due to resistance from Germany and France, which already possessed highly developed vocational training systems. But the failure can also be attributed to the clash…

Between 1981 and 1984, during the budgetary crisis of the European Community, significant negotiations were held between the Ten in connection with the reform of the European Social Fund. At the same time, there was a major political change in France: the left--led by Francois Mitterrand--came to power. In the social field, Francois Mitterrand had…

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…

Virtually every country in Europe discovered in the late 1970s that a section of its population had serious difficulties in using written language. Examined from an historical angle, this phenomenon can be seen as part of a complicated set of factors. Urban France can be said to have been fully literate by the late eighteenth century, especially…

In France today most initial vocational training is delivered within the school system, in the lycees professionnels (vocational lycees) and the technological streams of general lycees. Historically this characteristic feature of the French system came about at the end of the 19th century as a result of the educational policy of the Third Republic…

There are few long-term studies in which the development of vocational education and training (VET) is placed in a larger societal framework. Consequently, there is limited understanding as to why VET has evolved quite differently even in countries with similar economic and social development. In his reflections on a possible theoretical framework…

In France, technology is a compulsory school discipline at the junior high school level (ages 11-15). Technology studies were initiated at the beginning of the 1960s when school attendance until the age of 16 became mandatory and when it was decided to delay vocational training because of the irreversible drive towards technical modernity, a…

This issue focuses on the various forms that secondary technical and vocational education takes in different European Community Member States. "The Future for Skilled Workers" is an interview with Burkart Lutz, a German researcher. Other articles are as follows: "Contradictions in Technical and Vocational Education: The…

Three centuries ago only religious schools and apprenticeship controlled by the guilds existed to provide training. Regular academic schools originated in religions that needed a well-educated clergy, and these schools offered the model for the universal basic and secondary schools that exist today in nearly all countries. The European guilds gave…

"The broader perspective gained from examining educational systems of other countries has long been important and is especially so at the present time. France is of particular interest because of its strong educational traditions and its dedication to democratic principles. In the process of gathering information for this study, the author…