THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VOCATIONAL ASPECTS TO SCHOOLING IN AUSTRALIA. HOWEVER, IN RECENT TIMES THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON THIS ASPECT OF SCHOOLING WITHIN BOTH THE GENERAL CURRICULUM AND THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR VOCATIONAL FLAVOUR.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS EMPHASIS PROVIDE A BROADER OR NARROWER CONCEPTION OF EDUCTION FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS?
YOUR RESPONSE NEEDS TO REFER TO: (I) THE AIMS OF THE ‘NEW VOCATIONALISM’ AND HOW IT IS CURRENTLY BEING MANIFESTED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLING; (II) HOW EQUALITY OF OUTCOMES FOR ALL SENIOR STUDENTS CAN BE MANAGED AT AT TIME OF HIGH STUDENT RETENTION IN THE POST-COMPULSORY YEARS AND (III) A CRITIQUE OF THE CURRENT VET IN SCHOOLS POLICY.
Aims and Origins of New Vocationalism
What is vocational education? That depends on the period in history and whom you ask. There is probably no greater bone of contention or confusion among educators. Vocational education or educating students to fulfil their vocation or calling in life is such a broad definition. Traditionally it has been seen as an education for those not taking up tertiary studies, for those who instead undertake hands on training before entering the world of work. If this then is the definition, entry to some of the most highly regarded professions, is through vocational education. Take for example the doctor, teacher or the architect. In each of these cases the undergraduate student must undertake some form of on the job training and examination in order to receive their registration. This then changes the focus of vocational education. No longer can we look from the traditional view that it is for tradespeople, or blue-collar workers. We must then take a more encompassing view that it is necessary element of education for all students, to give them the grounding to deal with the challenges of the work force, regardless of the esteem the work they will ultimately do is held in.
Vocational Education is certainly not a new phenomenon. It has existed in some form or another in Australia schools since formal education began (Skilbeck et al, 1994). Vocational education has always been at the whim of the financial and political climate. In a boom, there is a surge in popularity in order to meet the skills shortages, in an economic crisis it is seen as the best “way out” (Keating, 1998). Since the industrial revolution there have been calls from industry for edu...
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...e outside world. That education should reflect the world it prepares students to live in, and not simply focus on the facts so that students reach set academic levels. Not all students have talent in all areas, and new vocationalism is a way of tailoring education to better suit the changing needs of our students as they enter the unknown world of this new millennium.
References
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Skilbeck, M. Connell, H. Lowe, N. & Tait, K. 1994. The Vocational Quest: New Directions in Education and Training. Routledge, London.
The teachers in the vocational program should bring the students up and make them a better student and hopefully can escape the vocational program and join other students in high school or
...ost-school lives. The Australian Curriculum prepares students for their roles in a family and for a career that will have the use of computers at least in some parts of the business. The Australian Curriculum prepares students for the world that they will have to face confidently, and living with their morals, values and knowledge of who they really are.
In the United States, the history of Career and Technical Education evolved within four major periods. First, the Awakening period which began in 1776-1826, when the right to a free public education was expressed. During this era, educational opportunities in labor and industrial education were being demanded. The rising working class began to press for an education that were more appropriate for their labor and industry’s needs (Awakening 1776-1826, 1976). Even Benjamin Franklin who represented the Awakening middle class was on board with the rise of technical and vocational education which were taught primarily by private masters or contracted apprenticeships (Cohen, 1976).
Various Authors (2012) Oxford Big Ideas Australian Curriculum History 10, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria
The essay will commence by focusing on the1944 Education Act, as it was "the most important piece of educational legislation since 1902" (Gosden, 1983:3). There was a great need for this Act, because the Second World War caused considerable disruption to the educational system. As Dunford and Sharp point out, "evacuation, staff shortages and suspension of building programmes all created their own problems. War also brought important changes in social attitudes, and [...] there was a determination for a better future" (Dunford and Sharp, 1990:17). Therefore there was a need to remodel the current education system "in order to ensure that every child would go to a secondary school" (Gosden, 1983:1). Planning for reconstruction of education culminated in the Education Act of 1944, which is also known as the Butler Act.
... to rigidity of the upper secondary school in the form of vocational education and training schools. The objective of vocational education is to foster students' development into good and balanced individuals and members of society and therefore provide them with the skills relevant to a specific career path (Sarjala, 2001) and thus relevant to the demands of the Finnish modern society.
The development of a national curriculum for Australia is not a new endeavour (Marsh, 2010). The ideal is that national curriculum across Australia would mean that students are provided with a quality education that helps to shape the lives of the nations citizens and continue developing the productivity and quality of life within Australia. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] have the task of developing and implementing a nationwide curriculum. ACARA (n.d.-c) claims have addressed needs of young Australians while considering that changing ways in learning and challenges will continue to shape students education in the future. A look at what the Australian Curriculum is, its purpose, structure and scope, learning theories and teaching processes and whether the curriculum has the capacity to meet the needs of 21st century learners will show that the initial construction of a national curriculum appears to be successful. However, the effectiveness of the Australian Curriculum will only be able to be evaluated in the future after implementation across the country.
For far too long, people have regarded vocational schooling as a second class option to a traditional college. Some believe that only under achievers will attend this type of school...
“Vocational Education in Finland.” Ministry of Education and Culture. Ministry of Education and Culture, n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2013. .
Porfeli, E. J. (2009). Hugo Munsterberg and the ORIGINS OF vocational Guidance. Concrete Mixers, Cengage Learning.
In conclusion, education is broader than just falling into what the contemporary school system has to offer. Both Gatto and Graff proved this by explain how conforming students to certain perspectives of education limits their potential in other educational branches that interest the students. Also, curricula should bring a balance between making a school a place for obtaining information, and accommodating the educational demands for each individual student. It is imperative to understand that reforming the academic system, by fine-tuning schools to have its students learn what exactly they are interested in, will lead to having students accessing their full intellectual potential.
Fischman, Wendy, Jennifer A Dibara and Howard Gardner. "Creating good education against the odds."Cambridge Journal of Education, 36. 3 (2006): 383--398. Print.
According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, by 2020, the United States is expected to face a shortage of 5 million workers who are equipped with technical certificates and credentials. But the U.S. apprenticeship system is small compared to those of other advanced economies. Consider that England started 510,000 new apprentices in 2012 while the United States started 147,000, despite the U.S. population being roughly six times that of England. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, 7o percent of young people enter the workforce through an apprenticeship. Part of the reason for the disparity is that American companies are not familiar with apprenticeship or its benefits, as discussed in a recent Center for American Progress report, “Training for Success: A Policy to Expand Apprenticeships in the United States.”
Warner, D. (2006). Creating a perspective for schooling in the knowledge era. Camberwell, Victoria: Acer Press.
One of the most clearly seen and common aim of schooling is to develop individuals ‘who have skills an...