Implementing European Union Education and Training Policy. A Comparative Study of Issues in Four Member States

The imminent enlargement of the European Union, as well as the EU's ambitious aim to become the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy represent significant challenges for research in the area of EU policies in education and training. In particular, investigations into the unresolved tensions between national traditions in education and the EU's striving for European standards and comparability of educational systems are required to ensure the successful development of future EU policies in these fields.
Against this background, this study presents a collaborative effort by researchers from different European countries, all working on questions of European integration in the field of education and training. The various views mirror the perceptions and values that shape the discussion of such terms as harmonisation, recognition, convergence and subsidiarity in the educational sphere. The selection of papers provides insights into surprising similarities and important differences in the approaches of different Member States regarding the interpretation and implementation of EU education and training policies.
This book summarises the results of a European research project conducted within the EU-funded network PRESTiGE (Problems of Educational Standardisation and Transition in a Global Environment). The network involves teams at six European universities: Stockholm, Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon, Dijon and Oxford.