Texts

Generic Skills, Core Subjects and Vocationalisation in Upper Secondary Education. A domestic dimension in the context of globalisation and learning?

By Kenneth Abrahamsson (1)

The metaphor of “Globalisation and learning” broadens the traditional domain of education. The concept of diversity reflects the two sides of the “educational coin”; the dynamic of diversity, variation and change as wells as entrepreneurial spirit on the one side and the risks of increasing gaps, segregation and social divide on the other. Unfortunately, education gaps in Sweden tend to be reinforced by ethnic discrimination and social segregation.

Institutions of education and learning are searching for their identity and active roles between the forces of the economy, risks of increasing social and ethnic biases and the need for humanisation and liberalisation of man. The transatlantic Ross School bridge between Stockholm and New York (via Harvard, Cambridge, US) creates an arena for further dialogue and learning on these challenges with regard to education at high-school level.

Traditionally, occupational learning and socialisation were integrated in the guild system; a model and metaphor that have given a lot of inspiration to various apprenticeship models of learning. With the further development of industrialisation, school for vocational training were created within the industrial fabric. In Sweden, these schools have, over a longer period of time, been integrated in the public school system. This transformation also has had a strong impact on the curriculum and knowledge ideals in vocational programmes with the purpose of balance general subject knowledge and specialised vocation knowledge and skills.

In Sweden, policies for a comprehensive system of upper secondary schooling started already in the 1970s by created an umbrella-organisation for traditional gymnasiums, vocational school and practical schools. A further step was taken in late 1980s when all two year long vocational programmes were prolonged to three years with the objective of giving general eligibility to higher education. In the new curriculum from 1991 all programmes in upper secondary schooling in Sweden share the same eight core subjects.

The implementation of the new curriculum of 1991 and the development during the 1990th is under evaluation and discussion. Evidently, the social bias and the dropout rate have been high, too high according to many Swedish political and professional voices. The transition rate to higher education varies strongly between different kind of programmes and the gender gap still seems to be of an enduring nature.

In year of 2000, the Swedish government appointed a task force with the mission to review and to redesign the organisational structure of the Swedish system of upper secondary schooling. The final report was presented to the government in the end of December the year 2002. The ideas and suggestions from the commission have been scrutinized and reviewed by public agencies, organisations and other interests and the government is expected to present a bill to the Parliament (Riksdagen) on the renewal of the system of upper secondary before summer 2004. The recommendations from the task force, 17 programmes should be reduced to 8 sectors. The general mission of the task force “Gymnasieutredningen 2000”, has been to present a model of broader programmes giving to pupils a more general preparation both for an occupational career but also further studies at higher education level.

Among the views of looking at education to work transition, two conceptualisations have been discussed in particular during last years. The first view is the belief in universal key-qualifications and generic skills that can be transformed to curricular objectives and broken down to sub-courses and learning modules in various education contexts. The presumption of this view is that it is possible to define and assess qualifications and skill levels. The second view is particular in nature and focus on the context-bound and situated forms of learning, communities of practice and it focus more on the socio-cultural context as well as the role of artefacts, activities and boundaries of various learning contexts.

In a more general sense, it is necessary to review current policies and outcomes of Swedish upper secondary education with respect to objectives as vocational preparation, educational preparation, lifelong learning and personal and civic development. The objective of 50% of the age cohort of 25 in higher education as well as policies (or non-policies) for the remaining groups need to be looked at. Questions to be discussed are; what are generic skills, can a common core of subject knowledge function as a bridge both to vocational careers and further and higher education? What is the impact of a more general upper secondary education, a de-vocationalisation, for the structure and content of higher education, for the career paths of the individual and for the utilisation of human capital on the labour market? How could various models of work place learning be enhanced in the new system of upper secondary schooling? (2)

1) Kenneth Abrahamsson is senior lecturer in education (docent), adjunct professor in human work science and learning at Luleå University of Technology (www.luth.se ) as well as programme director at the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (www.fas.forskning.se ).

2) The Swedish government and the Parliament (Riksdagen) decided, late spring 2004, not to follow the advices of the Task force of upper secondary education. The new policy was to consolidate the current system and to upgrade status and quality of the vocationally oriented programmes in upper secondary schooling.