Changes in Secondary and Higher Education. Background Study No. 6. Conference on Policies for Educational Growth. (Paris, France, June 3-5, 1970.)

Overview & Synopsis

Member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have experienced three changes in post-compulsory education over the past two decades: (1) prolonged secondary education has become the experience of a rapidly growing proportion of the population, (2) the proportion, therefore, of the age group entering some form of higher education has increased and will continue, and (3) as the proportion entering and completing higher education increases, so the numbers undertaking studies at an "advanced" (e.g. graduate school) level will increase. In most cases, these trends are the result of conscious policy decisions that represent the desire of governments to maximize talent utilization, equalize opportunities, and increase the educational participation of certain underprivileged segments of society. This wider participation has led to important changes in both the external organizational structures and in the internal curriculums (including methods of teaching and assessment) of higher education. This growth in scale and cost raises important questions about controlling the higher education system and about the role held by education in the social system. Related documents are: ED 057 470, EA 004 323, EA 004 420-423, and EA 004 425. (Author/JH)