The Study Visits Programme for Education and Vocational Training Specialists enables professionals to take part in a week-long programme of activities in another European country, learning about new practices and approaches in education. Part of the new EU Lifelong Learning programme, it incorporates the previous study visits programmes Arion and Cedefop Study Visits. Further information is available from the UK Lifelong Learning Programme website.
Previous participants (and this includes the authors of this factsheet) have stated that one of the key elements in the preparation for a successful visit was understanding a little about the education system in the country of the visit and having material about their own country. Eurydice at NFER can help you in gathering this type of information as you prepare for your forthcoming study visit.
- We can provide you with sources of information on the education system of the country you will be visiting.
- We can supply information on the education system in the UK, which you can use to help inform your hosts and fellow participants.
Information on other education systems
When researching the education system of the country you are visiting, you may find the following sources helpful:
- The Eurydice network produces National System Overviews (left-hand column) which provide a succinct presentation of the education system in each network country.
- More detailed country information is available from Eurydice's National Education System Descriptions (middle column), which provide an in-depth description of all stages of the education system in over 30 European countries.
- Comparative European studies are available on a wide range of subjects, including, citizenship education, science teaching in schools, higher education structures, language learning, and information and communications technology (ICT). Some studies may also have national descriptions of the specific areas covered by comparative study. These and the full study are available from the Thematic Studies pages of the Network website.
- The International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks Internet Archive (INCA) provides information on the curriculum, assessment and initial teacher training frameworks in place (in mainstream and special needs education) in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Wales.
Information on the education systems in the UK
Participants on study visits are often invited to make a presentation to their hosts and fellow participants on their country's education system. The following may help you prepare for this:
- The National System Overview (left-hand column) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland gives a succinct presentation of the education system. It includes information about the administration of education, the various phases of the education system (from pre-school to higher education), special needs, teachers, and ongoing reforms and topics of debate in education. There is a separate summary sheet for Scotland.
- We have prepared a PowerPoint presentation giving an overview of the education system in England which you can download and adapt to suit your purposes.
Overview of the education system in England
We hope you enjoy your study visit. If you have any further queries, please contact us at eurydice@nfer.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.
Last reviewed: July 2010
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