Recurrent Education: Policy and Development in OECD Member Countries. Switzerland.

Overview & Synopsis

The report on recurrent education in Switzerland is one of a series describing continuation education in OECD countries. Recurrent education is defined as a strategy to distribute education over the total lifespan of an individual in a recurring way and in alternation with work and other activities. Part I discusses the idea of recurrent education, provides a definition of the concept, and identifies aims and characteristics. Part II presents case studies of recurrent education at the University of Geneva, throughout Switzerland sponsored by the Federation Suisse, and in the postal department. Discussed are tasks and organization of training programs, access to training opportunities, and limitations of recurrent education in each case. Part III presents, as the bulk of the report, a discussion of the requisite conditions for the introduction of recurrent education in Switzerland. The structure and development of all levels of the Swiss system are compared with the theoretical model of recurrent education described in Part I. Topics discussed include: development prospects for the Swiss educational system, political influence, vocational training, and recurrent education as a subject for research. The conclusion is that recurrent education is a potential guide to development of Swiss educational policies in accordance with the stated objective of individual development. (Author/DB)