Éducation permanente in France en route to ‘permanent education’ at the Council of Europe? Revisiting a projet social to create ‘a long life of learning’

Abstract

ABSTRACTFocused on the period between the mid-1950s and the late 1970s, this paper explores the pan-European dissemination of policy proposals articulating éducation permanente as involving reforms in the architecture of initial and post-initial education in the direction of promoting ‘a long life of learning’. It seeks to identify the key ‘policy repertoires’ associated with the development of éducation permanente in post-war France from the mid-1950s and the subsequent development of ‘permanent education’ by the Council of Europe from the mid-1960s until the late 1970s. Focused on historical description and analysis of national, transnational, and pan-European policy networks, the paper examines French national networks advocating éducation permanente in relation to their subsequent involvement in the policy development of ‘permanent education’ by the Council of Europe.