Full Description
Some scholars argue that education systems across the western world are becoming increasingly similar due to the influence of transnational discourses and organizations. Others believe that education is the panacea for all problems of social cohesion. After all, aren't the well-educated usually more tolerant, civically engaged and trusting than the poorly educated? This book critically examines both claims. It finds that western countries still differ markedly on key aspects of their education systems and that these differences reflect distinct political traditions and different responses to a set of competing normative and political principles. The findings further suggest that raising the average education level is unlikely to be an effective strategy for promoting social cohesion. Instead, more promising are policies targeting the opposite ends of the lifelong learning continuum: universalizing pre-school education and care and promoting adult education with a pronounced second chance character.
Contents
Introduction; Jan Germen Janmaat, Marie Duru Bellat, Andy Green and Philippe Méhaut PART I: THE VARIATION AND DYNAMICS OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS 1. Convergent and Divergent Trends in Education Systems, 1990 to 2010; Andy Green and Tarek Mostafa 2. From Upper Secondary to Further Education; Audrey Dumas, Philippe Mehaut, Noemie Olympio 3. Lifelong Learning Regimes Versus VET Systems in Europe; Eric Verdier 4. Formal or Actual Convergence? Three Cases of Hybridisation; Philippe Méhaut 5. Curriculum Patterns in Citizenship Education; Christine Han, Jan Germen Janmaat, Tom May and Paul Morris PART II: THE SOCIAL OUTCOMES OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS 6. Social Cohesion as Paradigm; Francois Dubet 7. Pre-School Education and Care: A 'Win-Win' Policy? Tarek Mostafa and Andy Green 8. Educational Models and their Impact on Student Attitudes; Nathalie Mons, Marie Duru Bellat, and Yvonne Savina 9. Educational Differentiation and Inequalities of Civic Engagement; Jan Germen Janmaat 10. Lifelong Learning and Social Cohesion; Audrey Dumas, Philippe Méhaut, Noémie Olympio and Isabelle DiMeglio 11. Education and Social Cohesion in a Comparative Perspective; Marie Duru-Bellat, Antoine Vérétout and Francois Dubet 12. The Mismatch between Level of Education and Job Requirements; Vanessa di Paola and Stéphanie Moullet 13. Trends in Civic Competences; Bryony Hoskins and Rebecca Ridley Conclusion; Jan Germen Janmaat, Marie Duru Bellat, Andy Green and Philippe Mehaut
