DOCSLIB.ORG

Social Equality in Education: a Comparative Historical Study of France and England

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Social Equality in Education: a Comparative Historical Study of France and England Social Equality in Education: A Comparative Historical Study of France and England. Ann Margaret Doyle Institute of Education, University of London Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD. Institute of Education, University of London June 2013 1 Abstract This thesis will explore the concept of social equality in education in relation to France and England within their historical contexts from 1789 to 1939. It will compare and contrast how both countries have gone about reducing social inequality in education. The thesis will emphasise the importance of the ideological legacy at the heart of both systems for understanding this i.e. Republicanism in France and Liberalism in England. French education emphasises equality and secularism. This is a legacy from the French Revolution, which brought the state centre stage in education. It also emphasises unity since Napoleon imposed a unified framework for its administration. In France these characteristics of centralism, unity and secularism have been perceived as offering the best possibility of providing equality of opportunity for all pupils regardless of social background, religion, ethnicity or geographical location. Equality was not a founding principle of English education, as it was in France; the concept evolved more pragmatically as a way of dealing with the more unfair aspects of the system. Liberalism with its values of freedom and diversity and the political and economic doctrine of laissez-faire have had the most enduring influence on English education The method of enquiry undertaken in this thesis will be drawn from comparative historical sociology. It uses comparative historical analysis to understand the variation in how both countries have gone about reducing educational inequality and why a discourse of egalitarianism is stronger in French than in English education. Three factors: persistence of ideology, social-class alliances and the nature of the state are put forward to explain the variation between both countries in relation to social equality in education. The final section of the thesis reflects on how the histories of both countries have impacted on their current education systems. 2 Declaration and Word Count I hereby declare that, except where explicit attribution is made, the work presented in this thesis is entirely my own. Word Count: 83,239 Signed: ............................................................................. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the proper acknowledgement of the author. 3 Acknowledgements I’d like to acknowledge my indebtedness to my two supervisors: Professor Andy Green for his continued support and guidance throughout this lengthy process and Dr Susanne Wiborg without whose insights and continued encouragement I couldn’t have completed this thesis. I’d like to thank Tony Beaumont for his love and support which has sustained me throughout this journey. 4 Table of Contents Table of Contents 5 List of Tables 7 Chapter 1: Introduction and Methodology 8 Methodology 11 Chapter 2: Further Elaboration of the Hypotheses 26 France and England: Contrasting systems of education 26 Hypothesis 1: Persistence of ideology 26 Hypothesis 2: Social Class Alliances 36 Hypothesis 3: Nature of the State 47 Chapter 3: Towards a Definition of Social Equality in Education 56 Introduction 56 Principal Theories of Social Justice and Equality 57 Rousseau’s theory of justice and equality 58 Adam Smith and political economy 61 Philosophies of social justice 63 An approach to equality of educational opportunity based 66 on the distribution of resources Contemporary critiques of the principle of equality of opportunity 67 and Marxist interpretations of social inequality in education Conclusion 71 Chapter Four: The Development of Education in France 74 from 1789 to 1870 The French Revolution: France from 1789-1799 74 Napoleon and the consolidation of the Bourgeois State 78 Relations between Church and State in education 80 Primary Education and the struggle for universal education 81 Attempts to modernise secondary education 84 Analysis in terms of the explanatory factors 88 Chapter Five: The Development of Education in England 106 from 1789 to 1870 The Church and State in Education 109 Primary Education and the struggle for universal education 111 Secondary Education 114 Elementary Education 119 Analysis in terms of the explanatory factors 121 Conclusion to Chapters Four and Five 133 Chapter 6: France: The Third Republic 1870-1939 137 Overview 137 The Belle Epoque 1871-1914 139 Culture and Ideology 139 Social Classes and Political Alliances 140 The institution of the Republican School: free, compulsory and laique 142 5 The Interwar Period 1918-1939 146 The movement for l’école unique 150 The Front Populaire up to the declaration of war 154 Analysis of the Explanatory Factors 155 Chapter 7: England 1870-1939 171 Overview 171 Dominant ideology 172 Social class alliances prior to World War I 175 The Nature of the state 178 Educational policy in the period up to World War I 178 Interwar Period 1918-1939 184 Analysis of the Explanatory Factors 194 Conclusion to Chapters 6 and 7 208 Chapter 8: A Comparison of the Findings from the analysis 211 of the Explanatory Factors Chapter 9: Conclusion and Reflections 236 Bibliography 253 6 List of Tables Table 1: Contrast of Contexts Table 2: Macro-causal factors Table 3: Distribution of Occupations of fathers of Secondary School Students (percentages) Table 4: Number of students enrolled in primary and higher primary schools Table 5: England: Elementary Schools Table 6: France: Percentage of Children aged Six to Thirteen enrolled in Primary Schools Table 7: Comparison between enrolment in secondary schools in France and England and Wales (from Ringer, op. cit.). Table 8: Number of pupils between the ages of 11 and 17 on the registers of certain types of school, with the corresponding population 7 Chapter 1 Introduction and Methodology Social equality is an important area of research and given that the social contexts in which educational systems operate are largely based on inequality, is particularly relevant to education. The comparative method is most advantageous for understanding this relationship in a systematic and coherent way. Comparison is particularly helpful in uncovering the similarities and variations between educational systems and how they go about reducing social inequality in education. France and England1 have many similarities in terms of (i) their polity: liberal democracies with representative and accountable institutions and multple political parties; (ii) their economy: advanced level of capitalist development; and (iii) their welfare and education: universal health care and education with democratization of secondary education initiated in the 1960s. Nevertheless, there are major differences between them which are manifested in their education systems and this difference is a consequence of the variation in their political and cultural histories. In order to understand this variation, a comparative historical analysis of both countries is most appropriate. Much of the research on French and English education systems has focused on their distinctiveness in terms of: examplars of centralised and decentralised systems respectively (Archer, 1979), different modalities of state formation (Green (1990), and different forms of curricular control (Broadfoot 1985). The outcome of interest here is different and has not been researched systematically before. It focuses on the key concept of social equality in education and sets out to explain the variation in how both 1 England is taken here as the unit of comparison. However, it is unavoidable that Britain and the UK (United Kingdom) will be referred to in the comparative analysis especially when referring to the unitary nation state which, depending on the period following the respective Acts of Union, will refer to England and Wales (after 1536) or England, Scotland and Wales (after 1707) or England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (after 1801), or England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (after 1922). Responsibiity for education has also been devolved to the separate countries. 8 countries have gone about reducing social inequality in education2. Its starting position is that a discourse of egalitarianism has an importance in French education that is not the case in English education which places a higher value on freedom and diversity. This emphasis on equality in France can be traced back to the French Revolution (1789-1799) which was a critical conjuncture (Mahoney, 2000) in French history and extremely consequential for the trajectory followed afterwards. The values of equality and secularism, which came to the fore during the revolutionary period continue to underpin the French education system. It is claimed here that events during this critical period gave rise to a revolutionary ideology which has persisted thereafter (albeit in attenuated form over the past 30 years) and has had a major influence on educational policy particularly in relation to social equality in education. In contrast to this, liberalism has had the most enduring influence on English education and allied to this the political and economic doctrine of laisssez-faire emphasising voluntarism and self-help. This can also be traced back to the end of the 18th century which was a period of great significance for England, marking as it did
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Devotion and Development: ∗ Religiosity, Education, and Economic Progress in 19Th-Century France
    Devotion and Development: ∗ Religiosity, Education, and Economic Progress in 19th-Century France Mara P. Squicciarini Bocconi University Abstract This paper uses a historical setting to study when religion can be a barrier to the diffusion of knowledge and economic development, and through which mechanism. I focus on 19th-century Catholicism and analyze a crucial phase of modern economic growth, the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) in France. In this period, technology became skill-intensive, leading to the introduction of technical education in primary schools. At the same time, the Catholic Church was promoting a particularly anti-scientific program and opposed the adoption of a technical curriculum. Using data collected from primary and secondary sources, I exploit preexisting variation in the intensity of Catholicism (i.e., religiosity) among French districts. I show that, despite a stable spatial distribution of religiosity over time, the more religious districts had lower economic development only during the Second Industrial Revolution, but not before. Schooling appears to be the key mechanism: more religious areas saw a slower introduction of the technical curriculum and instead a push for religious education. Religious education, in turn, was negatively associated with industrial development about 10-15 years later, when school-aged children would enter the labor market, and this negative relationship was more pronounced in skill-intensive industrial sectors. JEL: J24, N13, O14, Z12 Keywords: Human Capital, Religiosity,
    [Show full text]
  • School Education in France
    Files on School Education 2009 School Education in France Contents 4 Overarching Principles 5 The Structure of the School System 6 Devolution 6 The Mission of the School System 7 The Acquisition of the Common Core of Knowledge and Skills 8 Nursery Education (L’école maternelle) 9 Elementary School (L’école élémentaire) 10 Lower Secondary School (Le collège) 12 Upper Secondary School (Le lycée) 15 French Schooling Abroad 16 Some key figures (2007-2008) Overarching Principles The French constitution states that it is the duty of the state to “provide free, compulsory, secular education at all levels”. The French school system was founded on overarching principles that were inspired by the 1789 revolution, added to and perfected by a set of legislative texts from the 19th century to the present day. FREEDOM OF CHOICE State schools and private schools that have a contract with the state coexist within the state system. In exchange for signing a public contract, private schools benefit from state support but are subject to regulation and must respect the national curriculum. The state alone awards diplomas. Exams are set at the national level. 83% of pupils are schooled in the state system and 17% in private schools. A small number are taught in schools that have not signed a public contract. FREE PROVISION Provision of schooling at level 1 ( premier degré : nursery and elementary 4 schools), level 2 ( second degré : lower secondary collèges and upper secondary general, technological and vocational lycées ) is free in state schools. In elementary schools and collèges (lower secondary) textbooks are also free.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Analysis of the Racial and Class Achievement Gap in Schooling in the United States, France, and South Africa Taylor J
    James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current Honors College Spring 2015 A comparative analysis of the racial and class achievement gap in schooling in the United States, France, and South Africa Taylor J. Fulcher James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019 Part of the International and Comparative Education Commons Recommended Citation Fulcher, Taylor J., "A comparative analysis of the racial and class achievement gap in schooling in the United States, France, and South Africa" (2015). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current. 108. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/108 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Comparative Analysis of the Racial and Class Achievement Gap in Schooling in the United States, France, and South Africa _______________________ An Honors Program Project Presented to the Faculty of the Undergraduate College of Education James Madison University _______________________ in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science _______________________ by Taylor Jade Fulcher May 2015 Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, James Madison University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors Program.
    [Show full text]
  • School Education in France
    FILES ON SCHOOL EDUCATION School Education in France 2012 2012 EDUSCOL. EDUCATION.FR/ DOSSIERS Content ______ General principles 2 ______ Devolved Powers 4 ______ Teachers 4 ______ The Common Core of Knowledge and Skills 6 ______ The Structure of the School System 8 ______ Primary School 9 ______ Lower Secondary School: le Collège 11 ______ Upper Secondary School: le lycée 15 ______ Equal Opportunities Policy 20 ______ French Schooling Overseas 22 ______ Key Figures (2011) 23 School Education in France - 1 General principles The French constitution states that it is ‘the duty of the state to provide free, compulsory, secular education at all levels’. The French school system was founded on general principles that were inspired by the 1789 revolution, and were added to and have taken shape with a set of legislative texts from the 19th century to the present day. ■ AcaDEMIC FREEDOM State schools and private schools that have a contract with the state coexist within the state system. In exchange for signing a public contract, private schools benefit from state support but are subject to regulation and must respect the national curriculum. The state alone awards diplomas. Exams are set at the national level. 83% of pupils are schooled in the state system and 17% in private schools. A small number of pupils are taught in private schools that have not signed a public contract. ■ FREE PROVISION Provision of schooling at level 1 (premier degré: nursery and elementary schools), level 2 (second degré: lower secondary/collèges and upper secondary general, technological and vocational lycées) is free in state schools.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Study of the Mathematical Curricula of France and the State of Georgia
    A comparative study of the mathematical curricula of France and the state of Georgia. Author Megan McGurl Faculty advisor Dr. Simplice Tchamna Abstract The purpose of our study is to make a comparison between the high school math content of the State of Georgia and the high school math content of France, whose students perform better at the international level than U.S high school students. A report by the Pew Research Center (2015) found that U.S students are scoring higher on national math assessments than they did two decades ago. However, U.S students’ performance is still behind all the other major industrial countries (Desilver, 2015). We use a cross- sectional analysis to investigate the causes of this low performance of U.S students in math. We aim to read the entire math curricula of France and the State of Georgia to identify similarities or any major differences. 1- Introduction Our current project investigates the differences between the French math curriculum and the State of Georgia math curriculum. Many studies have shown that average U.S students score lower than students in most other industrial nations (Desilver, 2015). The percentages of all U.S students who score at the advanced level is 6%, compared to France 10.8% (Hanushet, Peterson, & Woessmann, 2010) The French high school system offers many tracks for students to choose that narrow their field of study in the last two to three years of their secondary schooling. The courses offered under the general track in France correspond the most with those offered in Georgia’s high schools.
    [Show full text]
  • Citizenship Education in France and England: Contrasting Approaches to National Identity and Diversity in BANKS, J
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by UCL Discovery OSLER, A. & STARKEY, H. (2009) Citizenship Education in France and England: contrasting approaches to national identity and diversity IN BANKS, J. A. (Ed.) The Routledge International Companion to Multicultural Education. New York, Routledge. CHAPTER 24 CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND: CONTRASTING APPROACHES TO NATIONAL IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY Audrey Osler University of Leeds, UK Hugh Starkey Institute of Education, University of London, UK There is often a perceived tension within education programs between promoting national unity and identity, and addressing diversity and the multiple identities of students. The ways in which nation-states address the tension between unity and diversity in the education of citizens (Parker, 2003; Banks et al., 2005) is no longer merely the topic of academic debate but is being discussed by political leaders and policy-makers as they respond to concerns about terrorism and seek to secure political loyalty (Osler, 2008). There is also a tension between the goal of promoting a specific and narrowly defined national identity (which in some cases may imply indoctrination) and the goal of educating for independent, critical thought. This chapter reports on a study of two neighboring European countries, England and France, both of which were introducing new citizenship education programs at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Drawing on documentary evidence, the study analyzes their contrasting approaches to national identity, social cohesion, and diversity. 2 The study also examines how French and English citizenship programs address the on- going challenge which racism and xenophobia pose to democracy in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • French Education Abroad
    C M J CM MJ CJ CMJ N FRENCH EDUCATION ABROAD aefe.fr @aefeinfo A FEW WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR The Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) is an institution supervised by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It coordinates and supports a network of 540 schools in 138 countries. The AEFE network welcomes more than 365,000 pupils and students and guarantees them access to education excellence all over the world. 60% of them are foreigners. The network of French high schools abroad is unique, both in terms of density and unity. This is evidenced by the accreditation awarded to schools and verified by the French Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The Agency is one of the key entities involved in supporting French international initiatives. The AEFE is committed to providing public educational services for French families living abroad as well as promoting the French language, culture and values defining French education. This is the reason why we welcome students and pupils of all nationalities. To comply with these choices, the Agency has developed an innovative educational policy dedicated to implementing the programmes of the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports while remaining open to the languages and cultures of the host countries. By enrolling your children in an accredited French Institution, you are opting for educational excellence offered to every individual. You are choosing cultural openness and a multilingual learning environment that fosters independence, reflection, social commitment, community spirit and a sense of citizenship. This model is designed to adapt to the local populations and settings, in compliance with the national regulations of the countries partnering with French diplomatic offices.
    [Show full text]
  • Artistic Education in France: from the State to the Classrooms' Practices
    International Journal of Education & the Arts Editors Terry Barrett Peter Webster Ohio State University University of Southern California Eeva Anttila Brad Haseman University of the Arts Helsinki Queensland University of Technology http://www.ijea.org/ ISSN: 1529-8094 Volume 16 Number 23 December 13, 2015 Artistic Education in France: From the State to the Classrooms’ Practices Christelle Maziere University of Corsica, France Citation: Maziere, C. (2015). Artistic education in France: From the state to the classrooms’ practices. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 16(23). Retrieved from http://www.ijea.org/v16n23/. Abstract Since the beginning of the 5th Republic, social demands have influenced the demand to reform the place of culture in education as a way of developing better access to French culture for all students. In recent decades, the rising number of immigrants has created administrative districts characterized by geographic contrast, social inequalities, and diverse populations, increasing the need for artistic education. This article proposes to approach the political measures that allowed the development of arts teaching in primary schools in France to understand the cultural pedagogical practices provided in primary school. In doing so, I explore the ways that experimentation with local heritage provides the necessary social dimensions that support students in their understanding of French culture, diminish unequal access to art, and how schools might be used as a tool in the process of cultural democratization. IJEA Vol. 16 No. 23 - http://www.ijea.org/v16n23/ 2 Introduction This article proposes to approach the political measures that allowed the development of arts teaching in primary schools in France, keeping in mind the failure of the state policy.
    [Show full text]
  • (2009) Citizenship Education in France and England: Contrasting Approaches to National Identity and Diversity in BANKS, J
    OSLER, A. & STARKEY, H. (2009) Citizenship Education in France and England: contrasting approaches to national identity and diversity IN BANKS, J. A. (Ed.) The Routledge International Companion to Multicultural Education. New York, Routledge. CHAPTER 24 CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND: CONTRASTING APPROACHES TO NATIONAL IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY Audrey Osler University of Leeds, UK Hugh Starkey Institute of Education, University of London, UK There is often a perceived tension within education programs between promoting national unity and identity, and addressing diversity and the multiple identities of students. The ways in which nation-states address the tension between unity and diversity in the education of citizens (Parker, 2003; Banks et al., 2005) is no longer merely the topic of academic debate but is being discussed by political leaders and policy-makers as they respond to concerns about terrorism and seek to secure political loyalty (Osler, 2008). There is also a tension between the goal of promoting a specific and narrowly defined national identity (which in some cases may imply indoctrination) and the goal of educating for independent, critical thought. This chapter reports on a study of two neighboring European countries, England and France, both of which were introducing new citizenship education programs at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Drawing on documentary evidence, the study analyzes their contrasting approaches to national identity, social cohesion, and diversity. 2 The study also examines how French and English citizenship programs address the on- going challenge which racism and xenophobia pose to democracy in Europe. In 2007, nearly four million people in France voted in the first round of the presidential election for the far right Front national candidate, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has an explicitly xenophobic agenda.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Background Report for France
    ATTRACTING, DEVELOPING and RETAINING EFFECTIVE TEACHERS Country Background Report for France Submitted by Françoise Cros and Jean-Pierre Obin as part of the activities of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) April 2003 CONTENTS Executive summary ……………..………………………………………………………………..p. 5 Introduction- Recruiting teachers in France: still in a better position than other countries ?……. p. 8 Section 1- The French context…………………………………………………………………... p. 10 From the 17th century the State has used school as a political lever School and the reason of State 1802: introduction of public secondary education 1833: introduction of municipal primary schools 1941: creation of a system of public professional education The second half of the 20th century Segregation between tracks From the 1960': democratisation and unification of school A downturn in private education Decentralisation and funding The education system of today: scars from old wounds Public vs. private: a tempered duality Primary and secondary education: insufficient cooperation Technical education: a split system Special education: still not stabilised Teacher categories: a unified status, divided cultures Sustained investments with limited efficiency A strategy of endless reforms Ambivalence in public opinion Section 2- The school system and teacher categories………………………………………….p. 17 Primary education Locally administered structures A decentralised system A shifting pedagogical organisation Pedagogical reforms tend to bring only structural change Diversified support
    [Show full text]
  • Country-Profile-France-2020.Pdf
    EDUCATION POLICY OUTLOOK FRANCE June 2020 EDUCATION POLICY OUTLOOK Note: Most of the content in this profile was written before the COVID-19 outbreak. As such, this document offers insight into pre-existing conditions that may influence the system’s responsiveness in the context of the crisis and help inform longer-term efforts to strengthen resilience. Spotlight 1 summarises France's initial responses to the crisis. Its structure is based on work by the Education Policy Outlook in 2020 to support countries in these efforts. This policy profile on education in France is part of the Education Policy Outlook series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across OECD countries. Building on the OECD’s substantial comparative and sectoral policy knowledge base, the series offers a comparative outlook on education policy. This country policy profile is an update of the first policy profile of France (2014) and provides: analysis of the educational context, strengths, challenges and policies; analysis of international trends; and insight into policies and reforms on selected topics. It is an opportunity to take stock of progress and where the education system stands today from the perspective of the OECD through synthetic, evidence-based and comparable analysis. Designed for policy makers, analysts and practitioners who seek information and analysis of education policy taking into account the importance of national context, the country policy profiles offer constructive analysis of education policy in a comparative format. Each profile reviews the current context and situation of a country’s education system and examines its challenges and policy responses, according to six policy levers that support improvement: Students: How to raise outcomes for all in terms of 1) equity and quality and 2) preparing students for the future; Institutions: How to raise quality through 3) school improvement and 4) evaluation and assessment; System: How the system is organised to deliver education policy in terms of 5) governance and 6) funding.
    [Show full text]
  • 10Th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE on RESEARCH in CHEMISTRY EDUCATION
    10th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 10th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION BOOK OF ABSTRACTS PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF KRAKÓW KRAKÓW, 2010 JULY 04-07 Editors: Iwona Maciejowska, Jagiellonian University Kraków, PL Paweł Cieśla, Pedagogical University of Kraków, PL Abstracts were reviewed by the Members of The Scienfic Commiee Publisher: Pedagogical University of Kraków Institute of Biology Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Education ISBN 978-83-7271-618-7 Foreword Dear Colleagues, As a long tradition, ECRICE (European Conference on Research in Chemical Education) has been organized under the auspices of EuCheMS (formerly FECS), within the activity of the Division of Chemical Education. This 10th meeting follows successful conferences held in Istanbul (2008), Budapest (2006), Ljubljana (2004), Aveiro (2001), etc. This Conference is an opportunity to exchange experiences on research and practice in chemical education at every education level - from primary school via graduate studies up to lifelong learning. Delegates from 33 countries all over the world are here together to familiarize the scientific environment with the most recent achievements of the various research and educational centers as well as to develop international cooperation. It will also be an opportunity for you to visit Krakow, famous for its culture heritage and friendly atmosphere. The present book contains abstracts of 153 contributions: plenary lectures (7), oral presentations (83), workshops (2) and posters (61) prepared by Ph.D. students, academic staff and emeritus professors, researchers and teachers, for whom English is the native language and those for whom English is 2rd or 3th foreign language, who represent educational systems with 15 students in a class or 40, who work in fully equipped in multimedia classroom or in a simple one.
    [Show full text]