THE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE: FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO SPECIAL TRAINING

Abstract

The role of Higher Education expands between 1770 and 2006. The two (and half) centuries period can be divided into three cycles . The first cycle (1770-1880) is defined by the beginning of the industrial revolution until the establishment, in European level, of the welfare state. Economically, industrial organization dominated throughout Western Europe. The roots of this period can be basically found in the 15 th century with the Humanism and Renaissance and become clear with the Enlightenment during the 18 th century. Politically, the bourgeoisie prevailed and nobles were marginalized. Moreover, parliamentarism in Britain and the “ air ” of democratization from the USA and France (with the American and French Revolution) affects the whole Europe. The second educational cycle lasts until 1980 and reaches its peak after the mid-war. Europe (East and West), despite the political differences, tends to become homogenous. The essential characteristic of this era constitutes of the rise of the middle class. Homo universalis tends to predominate. Education becomes more indiscriminate and subjects have been influenced by classical education; it is the apex of the western spirit . Education is regarded as a public good and the welfare state is imposed. The 1929-33 crisis and the Russian Revolution accelerate the developments. The first cycle had a very slow advancement, if one takes into consideration that it started after 1450, but in fact emerged and was accelerated after 1770. The second only lasted 100 years; the third cycle appeared after 1980. The end of the World War II, despite the Cold War, will bring a vast liberalization and the dominance of the middle and the lower class. Never before, after the Antiquity, had such a democratization prevailed, that in some aspects was more extensive than the classical Greek and the Roman period . At the same time, the welfare state peaked in 1970. Following the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 it began to fade. During this period, the role of education essentially changes. From quantity view, the number of young people under 25 years of age attending a post-secondary studies program became gargantuan, reaching 80 per cent, whereas in some countries (USA, Canada, Sweden) this percentage was by far larger. From quality view, however, the changes are dramatic. The duration of studies is reduced from four to three years and curricula tend to fit the needs of the market. The main purpose of this essay is to correlate the economic and social changes with the educational system and more specifically with Higher Education. As will be shown, due to globalization that began to dominate after 1980, a major transformation took place, where the University transforms into a training center and homo universalis to a single-specialization man. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.6.1479