The Permanence of a Distinctiveness

MESCE 2008 – Intercultural dialogue through education, 11-13 May

The permanence of a distinctiveness

Educational policies in the Southern-European model of welfare

Paolo Landri – University of Naples “Federico II” and CNR-IRPPS

Email: sp.landri@irpps.cnr.it

Questions

• How are educational policies considered in welfare state models?
• What is the role of educational policies in the countries of the South-European welfare state model?
• Has Europeization affected educational policy-making in those countries? In what sense?
• If these countries present a distinctiveness or a convergence in educational policies, how to interpret this outcome?

Theoretical approach

• Welfare State Models (Esping-Andersen, Ferrera)
• Comparative research on educational systems (Archer, Ball etc.)
• Neo-institutionalism in education (Meyer and Scott; Meyer and Rowan, 2006)

Methodology

• Educational performances through statistical data against Lisbon Strategy (Eurostat, OECD)
• Analysis of educational policies in 4 countries (Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy) through European and national documents, European comparative research, field study (in case of Italy)

Welfare models and education

Comparative analyses of the forms of social protection do not devote particular attention to the area of the phenomena of education which does not figure among the relevant variables in the European models of welfare (Esping Andersen, 1990 and 2000).

The most successful typology points out three models: the social democratic regime, that includes the north European countries with wider universalistic principles and coverages; the liberal regime, drawing on individuals and on capabilities of autonomy, and that comprises the European countries English-speakers and the corporatist regime, where the social inclusion and social assistance are granted via work-related scheme and regard European countries of central Europe.

Southern European Model (SEM)

Further analysis led to distinguish the Southern European model (Ferrera, 1996, 2000) by the then South EU (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece).

SEM: high fragmentation and polarization of income maintenance system, creation of a universalistic NHS, familism, social security on occupational basis, clientelism and patronage networks, VET underdeveloped, etc.

Educational policies

In the process of differentiation of school systems, at least three trajectories, only partially replicating models of welfare (Benadusi, 2006, see also Rescalli, 1995):

• The dual model: Includes countries in Central Europe (not entirely coinciding with the ‘corporatist’ typology of welfare models), especially the German-speaking countries, with a school curriculum characterized by an early differentiation, in the presence of a high value attributed to VET.
• The democratic model: Includes, for example, Great Britain, France, and Italy, where there have been policies of raising compulsory education in the school system, with attempts at the comprehensivization of curricula by prolonging the choice in the areas of study, and thus, the trajectories of vocational education and training aiming at guaranteeing equity of opportunities, beyond social origin.
• The Scandinavian model: A high ‘comprehensivization’ of curricula, and the development of an integration of social and educational policies, generally gaining positive results in the reduction of social and economic disparities.

SEM: A 'common destiny' in educational performances?

• The level of achievement among the youth of the secondary degree of instruction;
• The percentage of young people leaving the education and training system early;
• The rate of adult population (between 24 and 61 years) who own an upper secondary school leaving certificate;
• The percentage of public education expense in reference to GPL;
• The rate of adult population participating in education and training activities.