Comparative Education

1st part: KEY TERMINOLGY AND ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS
Key terminology:
- Comparative pedagogy (education), international education
- Education system, school system
- Educational levels, ISCED classification
- Qualifications systems and systems of national vocational qualifications
- School and education programme; types of education
- Educational pathway and transition
- State, public, private school
- Full and part-time compulsory education
- Lifelong learning; formal and non-formal education, informal learning
- Education, qualification, training
- Further and continuous education
- Certification (school report, diploma, certificate)

2nd part: KEY CONCEPTS AND THE STRUCTURE OF EDUCATIONAL LEVELS:
- Three models of differentiation (internal structure of educational levels)
- Differentiation and equality in education (selection and orientation; meritocracy and egalitarianism in education)
- Lifelong learning and equity

3rd part: ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATION IN EUROPE (German, Anglophone, Francophone, Nordic models of education systems); similarities and differences among education system and their causes:
Organization of pre-primary education:
- Socio-historical context
- Organization, duration, age range, participation rates
- Institutions, forms and functions of pre-school education
- Access for children at risk, financing

Organization of primary education:
- Socio-historical context
- Primary vs. compulsory education
- Admission criteria
- Structure of primary education and curriculum
- Differentiation model and teaching methods
- Student assessment, progression; evaluation
- Elementary education of students with special needs

Organization of secondary education:
- Lower vs. upper secondary education
- Educational programmes and types of institutions
- Vocational education models and vocational education provisions
- Continuing and higher vocational education
- Access requirements
- Curricula
- Assessment and certification; transition
- Massification of upper secondary education and its impact upon the functions and organization of education

Organization of tertiary education:
- Main elements of the Bologna process and the Bologna model
- Binary vs. unitary organization of higher education
- Vocational education at tertiary level
- Comparison of higher education systems in model education systems (institutions, types and programme structures, titles, transition)

4th part: SYNTHESIS: the impact of lifelong learning policy upon European education systems: the evaluation of educational systems