Purpose of Vocational Education in the Secondary School. A Study Group.

Overview & Synopsis

This report presents selected quotations and major points representing the views of educators, policymakers, and specialists in the areas of economic and social development on the subject of the purposes of vocational education in the secondary schools. The material was collected during a year-long review of current studies of secondary schools, 20th-century perspectives on vocational education and its specific fields, the purposes of education in general, future social and economic forces, and key concepts often used to define the purpose of vocational education. The volume is divided into eight parts. The importance of readdressing the purpose of vocational education in the secondary schools and the implications of current studies of secondary education are discussed. Examined in the next three sections are 20th-century perspectives on the purpose of vocational education; specific fields within vocational education (agricultural, business, distributive, home economics, and industrial education); and education in general. The implications of future economic, social, and technological trends for vocational education are outlined. The following key concepts are discussed in a section on developing a purpose statement for vocational education: development; individual differences; education; vocation; work; and the ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology of work. The final part reflects on the contribution to and unique purpose of vocational education in secondary education and the questions that should be asked about vocational education's purposes when deliberating on the needs of individual secondary schools. Each section includes selected quotations, a summary, and references. Concluding the volume is an epilogue by Harry F. Silberman. (MN)