Development of Education in context of project ‘Shared Histories’

Education is today a predominantly national concern with few possibilities for supra-national intervention.

However we can explore a number of convergences and interactions in the development of education in Europe

Examples of convergent experience

• Rationale of Education systems• Role and responsibility of the state• Centralisation or decentralisation• Definition of compulsory education• Certification procedures• Status, role and training of teachers• Legal and administrative structures• Curriculum definition and development• Textbook policy

Examples of interactions

• Philosophy of education• Gender equality• Pedagogical reform• Balance between general and professional

education• Comparison of national systems• Trans-national developments• PISA shocks

In exploring aspects of these convergences and interactions a number of recurrent ideas emerge, leading to three broad areas on enquiry:

Areas of enquiry

• Education systems

• Education in the classroom

• Education philosophy

Areas of enquiry and the Themes of

the e-book

• Development of education systems: – Access to education

• Education in the classroom:– Reform of pedagogy

• Education philosophy:– Exchange of knowledge, ideas and actors

(Widening) access to Education

– Social segregation or integration– Gender issues: Co-education or separate;– Streaming and selection for differentiated education;– Democratisation; – Massification; Institutionalised schooling;– Length of formal schooling; lifelong learning; – Flexibility; diversity of offerings and multicultural

education; inclusivity or discrimination; choice– Barriers to education (language; literacy deficiency)– Access for special groups (disabled; girls and women;

ethnic minorities, migrants emigrants

The reform of pedagogy• Sources of inspiration; shifting authorities

• Church, State

• ‘Inventions’ of childhood– Stage of life; born sinful; respond to reason; -to nature; in need of

protection; personality development; children’s rights

• Learning and teaching processes– Child psychology; cognitive and affective aspects; development of critical

thinking

• Curricular aims– Knowledge, understanding, experience; skills; values; attitudes;

competences; wisdom

• Influence of different philosophers

Exchange of knowledge, ideas and actors

• Early universities

• Traditional or progressive methods

• Mobility and Globalisation– migrations; greater permeability of ideas; exchanges (including

virtual) of pupils, students and professors; Bologna and Pisa processes; IB.

Trends

Product

Elitist

Male

Local

Passive

Preparation

Lingua franca

Teacher centred

Process

Democratic

All

World

Active

Lifelong

Mother tongue

Learner centred

Development of education

1. How far are the activities in these sections suitable for pupils and students in your country?

2. Could you suggest ways in which you might adapt the activities in order to make them more relevant

for pupils and students in your country?

Access to education

• General- Develop a case study showing how access has either widened or become more

equitable in your society over time in respect of one of the points on page 229- Look at the list of points in the last paragraph on page 229. Do you agree that all

these aspects are shared throughout Europe? What other aspects regarding access to education do you think are indisputably shared in Europe?

• Gender- Ouline the successive steps taken to include girls in general mainstream education

in your country. Specify dates. Distinguish progress on primary and secondary education; on separate or mixed schools; on separate or same curricula

pages 230-32 and focus on exercise 2 on page 232

Access to education (2)

• Social segregation

• what evidence can you supply from your country regarding differentiation in the education system linked to social segregation? Consider economic differences; rural/urban divide; education of minorities; housing differences

• pages 236-7

• School leaving age and lifelong learning• pages 240-1: discuss the issue surrounding leaving age and starting work

age.

• How far do you think the paradigm change regarding lifelong learning suggested as necessary is likely to happen/has happened in your country? Do you agree that all of the dimensions mentioned on page 239 are necessary for a paradigm shift?

Reform of pedagogy

• Influence of religion- How relevant is the discussion on pages 246-7 regarding Catholicism and

Protestantism to you? What can you say about the role of Orthodoxy in education during the same period?

• Role of the state- When did state education start in your country?- What has been the relationship between church and state in regard to education?- In relation to the case study about state provision of basic education in England

(pages 253-7) develop a similar account of the role of the state in your country. Compare key developments with dates.

Reform of pedagogy (2)

• Changing views on learners and learning

• On pages 260-5 a number of key educational thinkers are noted. Research any of these educators. Which of these thinkers do you think has had a major influence on your education system? Are there other thinkers you would like to add to this account?

• Reading pictures; page 268

• Collect a set of pictures showing education in your country at a defined period. Ask someone from another country to comment on these and say what they show about your education system in their view.

Exchange of ideas, knowledge and actors

• General- Discuss aspects of ‘unity’ and ‘diversity’ in universities today. Does this reflect the

idea of the medieval university?• • Early universities- Research other early universities and devise a short description similar to those on

pages 276 and 277- Universities and shared heritage; page 279 exercises 3 and 4

• Globalisation- Do the figures for student mobility reported in the seminar paper (page 360)

accord with your experience?