| Popis: |
The standing of vocational education is often perceived to be low, compared with other education sectors, albeit more so in some countries than others. The consequences of this standing can be profound. They include how governments, industry, enterprises and communities sponsor vocational education, and what constitutes its purposes, form and its administration. These perceptions also shape how individuals engage with it, parents advise about it and employers’ willingness to engage with its provisions. Over time, also it has been the voices and sentiments of powerful others (e.g. aristocrats, theocrats, bureaucrats and academics) that have shaped the discourses about the standing of occupations and their preparation (Billett, 2014). In many instances, this privileging has and continues to come at a cost to the standing, processes of and goals for this important educational sector. The symposium will comprise four country perspectives and a brief discussion, from Denmark (Vibe Aakrog), Finland (Petri Nokelainen), Norway (Hilde Hiim) and Switzerland (Barbara Stalder), each of which will outline factors associated with the standing of vocational education and ways in which it has or might be enhanced. |
