Education development trends of adults in France: modernity and prospects

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Education development trends of adults in France: modernity and prospects

Introduction

The mission of adult education is the development of an adult person in accordance with the challenges of our time. The main strategic objective of adult education, relating to any country and reflecting the global processes in the modern world, is the creation of conditions for the development of an adult in accordance with his or her interests and abilities. To date, the priority idea of the development of education in Ukraine is the concept of lifelong education of a person.

During the last decade, Ukrainian and foreign scholars have actively pursued pedagogical studies of the problems of continuing education (N. Biryukova, A. Darinsky, T. Desyatov, A. Dzhurinsky, I. Zyazyun, D. Kidd, V. Kremen, P. Lengrand, Z. Malkova, N. Mukan, A. Novikov, N. Nichkalo, V. Onush- kin, N. Rukhadze, G. Selman, S. Sysoeva, L. Sigayev, S.Vershlovskyi, A. Vladislavlyev, B. Wolfson and others).

The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities and development tendencies of adult professional education in France.

To date, the priority idea of the development of education in Ukraine is the concept of lifelong education of a person. In the satisfaction of the needs of adults, education performs the following functions:

1. Social - the satisfaction of social expectations of adults (orientations, motives, life plans, etc.).

2. Valeological - the creation of conditions to ensure the comfort of adult learning.

3. Axiological - the attraction of an adult in the contemporary spiritual global values of mankind.

4. Polyfunctionality makes education of adults a means of protection, a factor contributing to social and professional mobility, the formation of responsibility and the development of a worldview (Shanskova T. I., 2012, p. 154).

The tasks of adult education. As S. Arkhipova notes, the main tasks of adult education are social correction and adaptation of the unemployed (those who used to work but lost their jobs, those who left it voluntarily, unemployed graduates of educational institutions, etc.); military personnel discharged to the reserve; pensioners and elderly people; women; refugees; disabled persons; functionally illiterate workers; representatives of ethnocultural minorities. Determining is the orientation of adults in education (what and how to learn) should be the subculture of each socio-professional group. The most important component of the content of education in this case is a complex of problems related to the life and professional self-determination of representatives of these groups (Arkhypova S. P., 2014, p.125).

Adult education is a complex multifunctional, socio- educational and socio-cultural system aimed at satisfying the vocational and personal educational needs of a person. It includes all types of post-graduate professional and additional, formal and non-formal education, aimed at preserving and developing the overall educational space. Adult education is based on the theory of adult education - andragogy, and its scientific and methodological basis is the technology of adult learning. It also relies on the concept of free, «open» learning, the psychology of adult learning that develops in the context of lifelong education (Folvarochnyi I. V., 2012, p. 48).

Learning occurs not only on an individual level, but all economic development as well as democratic participation of the individual requires formal and informal learning. The appearance of adult education and learning can be quite interlaced, confusing and complex. It varies from presentations, weekend seminars, courses of longer duration up to long-term vocational training. It occurs in companies, in educational organizations, at home, in cultural institutions and in the media. Sometimes, adult education is financed by official or state funds, sometimes by project resources; increasingly it is structured by the market (Schreiber- Barsch S., 2015, p. 6).

An important contribution to the study of adults' education was made by Ukrainian and foreign scholars on the problems of adults' education S. Arkhipova, S.Boltivets, A. Folvarochny S. Goncharenko,M. Gromkova, T. Desyatov, V. Kremen, S. Nikitchina, E. Ogarev, V. Onushkin, V. Putsov, N. Skrypnyk, S. Vershlovsky, L. Vovk and others.

Studies on the development of adult education in France (K. Onushkina, R. Teslya L., Vedernykova) and in Ukraine (I. Arkhangelska, T. Desyatov, V. Kovalchuk, N. Kolyada, M. Mukhin, L. Tymchuk, L. Vovk, I. Vorobets and others) are valuable.

Higher education is an important component of adult education in France. The law on higher education, adopted in 1968, called the «Law on the orientation of higher education», retained the traditional form of admission to the university, that is, without exams and having a bachelor's degree. The main organizational unit of the university became the Educational and Scientific Association (UER - Unite d'enseignement et de recherche), as a center for professional training and research. In 1984, it was replaced by a teaching and research unit (UFR - Unite de formation et de recherche).

As R. Teslya points out, France has a developed adult education system based on ancient historical traditions. The ideas of scientists of the French scientific school are studied and recommended for distribution by the world educational institutions. Therefore, the study and synthesis of France's experience in adults' education and the identification of trends in its development makes it possible to form a clear picture of the nature of the general problems that occur in the domestic and world educational space (Teslya R. V., 2015, p. 56).

The history of adults' education in France is closely intertwined with the history of political, economic, social and cultural changes in this country. Forms, types, content of education, as well as the enrollment of students were determined and are determined by the needs generated by these changes. Higher education is an important component of adult education in France.

The LMD model (licentiate - magistracy-doctoral studies) includes three educational cycles, which, according to the Bologna Declaration, constitute a pan-European standard of higher education, with the difference that the first step is called the Bachelor's degree, and the licentiate. The licentiate is designed for three years of study, a master's program for two years, doctoral studies - for three years (Ogiyenko O. I., 2008, p. 3).

In France, there is no separate university education for adults. However, in accordance with the Law on adult education adopted in 1971, employers are required to pay a tax for the fund for adult education preparation and improvement. Every worker has the right to use funds and get help to improve his or her own qualifications. Most often this right is used by men aged 25-40 who already have one higher education and prestigious work, but also by unemployed people with the purpose of acquiring or changing their profession.

Most higher education institutions organize many free and paid lecture courses of actual contents foradults. Along with evening training, there is also a distance, as well as specific forms of vocational training in camps or workshops of different duration in summer or in the evening, under the aegis of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. Perseverance in the fulfilling of the programs of these camps can lead to obtaining a prestigious diploma of an engineer. An interesting feature of France is the abundance of «free listeners» - adults, for a nominal fee (for the use of libraries, laboratories, etc.) can attend at their own request academic programs of universities, but without the right to take exams and receive a higher education diploma.

Reforming of the university system of higher education in France shows originality and effectiveness in attempts to improve it and bring it in line with the requirements of the modern times. At the present stage, the basis for the development of the adult education system in France is the continuing professional education of adults, which facilitates the rapid adaptation of people to new methods and working conditions, thereby increasing their material and cultural level, on the one hand, and stimulating the development of the culture and economy of the country, on the other.

GRETA as an element of continuing adult education. The main structural element of the system of continuing vocational education for adults in France today is the educational structure GRETA (Popko I. A., 2012, p. 47). Educational programs, provided by GRETA, cover the leading areas of the professional labor market and meet the needs of the adult population, wishing to boost their professional level, improve their skills or officially confirm the knowledge and skills which are already acquired. The continuity of adult education in GRETA is provided by the following levels of professional qualifications:

• Level V which is the analogue of the Certificate of professional suitability (CAP) or the Certificate of Professional Knowledge (BEP);

• Level IV which is the analogue of the Matriculation Certificate or the Certificate of Professional Knowledge (ВЕР);

• Level III which is the analogue of the certificate of the senior Engineer - technician (BTS), Diploma of completion of the Technical University (DUT) or Certificate of completion of the first cycle of a higher education institution;

• Level II which is the analogue of the certificate of completion of the second cycle of a higher education institution.

The main area of the activities of GRETA is the individualization of the educational process. Individualization of the educational process in GRETA is carried out through:

• drawing up of the individual curriculum by students together with the teacher-adviser;

• creation of a «portfolio» - an individual card index containing certificates and diplomas reflecting the students' knowledge and skills;

• methodological support, which includes organizational and personal approaches and helps the student, together with the instructor-consultant of GRETA, to manage the learning process;

• differentiation of the content depending on the results of testing, reflecting the level of the knowledge and skills accumulated in a student.

The system of continuing adult vocational education in France is based on a concept that encompasses a large number of perspectives, directions and forms of education, so that, each student can fully reveal his abilities and satisfy his educational needs. The system of professional training and professional development of specialists within the GRETA network represents the first and currently the main structure of the system of continuing professional education in France. There are three main types of educational programs in the centers of the GRETA's network: formal educational courses, individualized education and training in the form of academic units.

The complex of educational institutions of the GRETA is the main link uniting both human and material resources, the main purpose of which became the organization of the educational process for the adult population of the country. Among the main goals of GRETA, it is necessary to accentuate on provision of the assistance to adult students in vocational guidance, help in defining the profile and immediate organization of educational programs. The main and biggest center of GRETA in France today is the Paris branch of GRETA, which, along with other departments, is engaged in carrying-out of various stages of adult education.

That is why the main technology of teaching in GRETA was the individualization of the educational process, ensures the development of individual abilities of students and creates the necessary conditions for both personal and professional growth.

AFPA as an adult education network. Another useful adult education network is the AFPA (Association nationale pour la formation professionnelle des adultes), the national association for adult vocational education. Accordingly, the focus of its actions is to develop the skills and competence of already acquired knowledge and, as a result, help people find work and find employment. Such vocational training becomes an inherent, integral part of traditional education.

Distance training in France. In 2006, the first National commercial distance learning school (ENA- CO) was established in France, under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education (Ministere de l'Education nationale, de la Jeunesse et de la Vie associative), that is, the curricula correspond to state programs and the qualification level of teachers is monitored. This school brings together nearly 3,000 students from France and French territories abroad. The school provides full education starting from the lowest level of «professional qualification certificate

(CAP)» and up to the bachelor's level + 5 (Bac + 5) and master's degree. The admission to the educational institution is done via the Internet. 25 employees work full-time, they are teachers, engineers, specialists in multimedia teaching aids. The pedagogical staff of ENACO consists of classroom editors, tutors of consultants, and a person responsible for recruiting students. All teachers have a high educational level, experience and a length of service in the distance teaching of their subjects.

All participants in the learning process work together on a daily basis to provide students with the perfect knowledge that is constantly updated. After registration for schooling, students are sent materials in printed form. Together with the thematic information, they receive assignments and exercises that can be processed through the Internet and get tested homework from the teacher, videos and teacher's consultations by phone. Students are constantly under the supervision of the teacher and can contact him for an explanation. Such a system makes it possible to avoid any difficulties in distance learning.

Taking into consideration the demands of the times and the growing demands of employers for job applicants, ENACO is preparing for the English language exam - TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication).

The ENACO School prepares for the TOEIC test within 25 lessons, in the course where students get knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, oral and written skills in the remote mode, using video and audio materials, situational broadcasting, blocks of questions typical for the test. Teachers of the school teach the students the British and American versions of the language. Teachers of the school and engineers dealing with the development of new methods suggested, in our opinion, an extremely promising and effective way of learning a foreign language using I-Phone. This method was called «My English Pocket». This method is based on a clear and effective learning concept: getting knowledge in small blocks, but every day. Thus, every day, a person learns, receives an educational module in an interesting and original way, which can be processed in ten minutes, using free time, being in transport, in a line to the doctor, etc. This method was specially developed and patented by ENACO with the aim of strengthening the desire for progress in learning the language (Popko I.A., 2012, p.47).

The activities of the GRETA and AFPA educational networks can become a landmark for the development of the system of continuing adult vocational education in Ukraine in the field of vocational training and professional development of specialists. Individualization of the educational process can become an example in the implementation of an individual approach to adult students in our country, contributes to the development of individual abilities of a person, taking into account his professional knowledge, skills and goals, while improving his professional level.

In France today, a large number of people receive or improve knowledge remotely. The majority of employees at their workplaces have high enough motivation for improving and developing knowledge and skills, and distance learning is an excellent opportunity to learn, improve the knowledge which are already acquired and work simultaneously. After completing such training, employees receive diplomas that enable advance in their career. The French government promotes the development of distance learning, introducing various social programs for financing distance learning for students of all categories.

Distance learning in France exists in the form of various institutions: AUF (Agence universitaire de la francophonie) is a university agency of the French language, CNED (centre national d'enseignement a distance) is a national distance learning center that provides distance learning for 35,000 students in 120 countries, where more than 5,000 teachers take part in the preparation and maintenance of 2500 training courses, CURSUS international educational organization, Formasup - university digital program, Telesup - a training program that complements it, supplemented Algora Formation i Thot. It should be noted that in France there is an opportunity to acquire also professional skills in the field of working professions through distance learning. With the help of practical explanations, especially video clips, which are additionally accompanied by explanations by phone, descriptions and other telecommunication means, one can obtain professional knowledge and skills of many professions. Of course, these new «distance» students should, in practice, in workshops, test the knowledge they have gained.

Despite the undeniable development of innovation in vocational training, it remains difficult to determine the required number of hours of study, the number of students and the financial portion invested in the development of distance education in France. In the field of private institutions, the data of the conducted sociological survey testify, however, that distance learning is successfully promoted at large enterprises and is especially popular among the leading personnel (Ogiyenko O. I., 2008, p. 47).

Conclusions

As a result of the study, it can be concluded that adult vocational education is an integral and at the same time a separate part of the French education system. Adult education as a phenomenon of social pedagogy is considered as a factor of socialization and a means of achieving a certain level of education, a common culture and professional competence, corresponding to the social and personal needs of the adult as a subject of educational and labor activity. Theoretical analysis made it possible to determine the main trends in the development of adult education in the modern world and to reveal the essential characteristics of the adult education system in France. Summarizing, certain features of the organization of the Frenchadult education system can be used to develop recommendations on the use of progressive ideas of the country's experience in reforming the adult education system in Ukraine. In the conditions of economic restructuring, the formation of the ability to adapt to these conditions is becoming increasingly important. Adult education is a factor that provides a direct process of personality development and determines the ways of realization and renewal of this process, its essence and readiness of the population of our country to adapt to new and unexpected situations.

This article does not cover all the aspects of the problem under study. Further scientific researches can be associated with the application in Ukrainian pedagogy of France's experience in implementing the system of distance professional education for adults, taking into account regional needs in the process of structuring of the content of learning; assessment of key competences of adult students acquired in the course of learning the course; introduction of alternative types of evaluation.

References

vocational education distance learning

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2. Ogiyenko O. I. (2008). Tendentsiyi rozvytku osvity doroslyh u skandynavskyh krayinah [Trends in the development of adult education in Scandinavian countries: Monograph]. N. Nychkalo (Ed.). Sumy: Ellada-S, 444 (ukr).

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6. Shanskova T. I. (2012). Rozvytok systemy drugoyi vyshchoyi osvity doroslyh: yevropeyskyi dosvid [Development of the system of the second higher education of adults: European experience]. Visnyk Zhytomyrsk- ogo Derzhavnogo Universytetu, (63), 154-157 (ukr).

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