Full Description
This book brings together the perspectives of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from across England, Wales and Scotland to produce a rich, up-to-date and highly textured source of evidence about this under-researched sector. The contributors analyse how each country's approach to national policy, organisation, governance and practice operates and show that by understanding this in depth, one can move beyond simplistic comparisons, policy borrowing and idealisations towards a more effective mode of government in the future. The book looks at the commonalities and differences between the UK's national systems and compares this internationally, before it maps out and summarises each nation's key system features. It gives expert opinion on the organisational arrangements and priorities in England, Scotland and Wales and shows how each operates in practice and what implications there are for the learners, educational professionals and wider stakeholders. The book concludes by imagining three possible scenarios for the future of education and training policy across the UK.This book will be of direct interest and relevance to national and international researchers and policy-makers in the broadly defined field of post-compulsory education and lifelong learning. It will also appeal to teachers, lecturers and postgraduate students on courses related to education and political science, and those who work in national and regional agencies in England, Scotland and Wales.
Contents
Foreword by David Raffe 1 National education systemsby Ann Hodgson and Ken Spours PART 1 NATIONAL CONTEXTS AND APPROACHES TO POLICY 2 The English skills policy narrative by Ewart Keep 3 The Scottish perspective: Continuity and change post-devolution by Janet Lowe and Vernon Gayle 4 Devolution, policy-making and lifelong learning: The case of Wales by Gareth Rees PART 2 ORGANISATION, GOVERNANCE AND PRACTICE 5 Organisational arrangements in England, Scotland and Wales: How the systems work by Ann Hodgson, Ken Spours and Martyn Waring with Stuart Gardner, Jim Gallacher and Dennis Gunning 6 Policy into practice: Provider perspectives by David James PART 3 POSSIBLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS 7 Convergence, divergence and post-devolution politics across the UK: The shaping role of the state, markets and democracy by Ken Spours 8 Post-compulsory education and lifelong learning across the UK: Moving from managed divergence to a new period of uncertainty by Ann Hodgson, Ken Spours, Martyn Waring, Jim Gallacher, Ewart Keep and Gareth Rees
