Shayner A.

Lviv Inter-Regional Academy of Personnel Management

Ukraine

FORMATION OF THE COMMERCIAL EDUCATION EUROPEAN MODEL BY THE ANALYSIS OF THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

SYNOPSIS

The article is devoted to the retrospective analysis of the French and English commercial schools. It touches upon the problem of commercial institutions formation in innovation of modern education system. Various levels of commercial schooling together with supplementary studying are highlighted from the viewpoint of the historical, economic and social changes.

Key words: French and English commercial schools, economic progress, educational reforms, vocational education, full-time and part time schools, working colleges, cooperative schooling, associations.

PREFACE

The problem of the vocational education is actual nowadays, because deepening of the economic crisis, aggravation of the social problems has led to the ruining tendencies in the system of the vocational education.  The second half of the XIX th century became a period of change in the development of all European countries. Swift industrial, agricultural and trade increasing as well as sharpening of the international and domestic competition brought into the need of commercially educated citizens with economic thinking, creative initiation, market orientation and readiness to risks and innovations.

V. Zaychuk, I. Likarchuk, I. Zaziun, N. Nychkalo, L. Povazhna and other scholars in their researches addressed to historical and pedagogic problem of the vocational education development. The aspects of the history formation and development of commercial education as a variety of vocational education found their reflection in the works of O. Anischenko, O, Kovalchuk, V. Postolatiy, I. Dobrianskyi, O, Hurianova, O, Kuklina. Affluent material, that images the process of the foreign pedagogic thought development, its priority ideas, main trends and contradictions, is found in К. Кеlner’s “Brief pedagogic history”. Considerable attention is paid by the author to the establishment and development of schooling of German, England, Denmark and France.  H. Hеnkel’s work “Public education in the West and in our place” (1911), beside elementary branch represents briefly the review of historical and pedagogical peculiarities of the secondary and high schooling formation, education content, methodical and didactic guaranteeing of the scientific process in them, аnd also surveys separate aspects of the vocational schools functioning (agricultural, industrial, commercial) and pedagogical educational institutions.

 

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The historical and pedagogical problem of the economic schooling at the end of the XIX th and the beginning of the XX th centuries by the analysis of the French and English educational institutions formation with a thorough description of the peculiarities of their origin, development and penetration into the European public education model hasn’t been singled out into a certain area of the scientific research yet.

Social and economic progress demonstrated by the Western European countries in the first half of the XIX th century led them to the leading edge of the world social changes, became a model for other countries and peoples relative to the improvement of production with the help of the industrial automation technologies as well as organization of the socio-political regime, social relationships, educational sphere. Revolutionary scientific discoveries caused so-called second industrialization in Western Europe in the second half of the century and resulted in the sharp industrial and production growth of the new goods that in its turn improved the population’s living conditions, its size had increased, the number of people engaged in agriculture decreased (to 8% in England, 35 % in Germany) [4, c. 347]. In return, the number of employed labour force was constantly increasing and its work demanded appropriate knowledge and skills. The labour educational level increasing provoked its role realization in the production and social life.

         The new approaches in the schooling organization began forming; the establishment of the national school systems in the Western European countries took place. The impetus to the educational reforms was the French revolution, interest towards national schooling and its specialization had appeared under ideas of this revolution. A peculiar place in its structure was assigned to commercial education, the aim of which was human resource development and experts in the economic sphere that was on the stage of development and demanded skilled workers. The term “commercial education” – ‘ is aimed to provide students with knowledge necessary for trade business’ [2]. It is singled out into a separate branch of the public education in the industrialized advanced countries in the XIXth century, when a considerable development of trade and appearance of the giant commercial and industrial enterprises required countless people specially prepared to the service in those institutions [2].

         After the French revolution that equaled all people in rights, the obligation of the new public order was elimination of inequality even in the sphere of education. The slogan of the XIXth century was advanced as ‘knowledge is power’ [1, c. 4]. French figure Zh. Kondorse wrote: ‘Give people means for their needs satisfaction as well as ensure their well-being, know and exercise their rights, understand and carry out their requirements, provide everyone with possibilities to improve work and ability to do public duty that all are required to do, develop skills in the full swing, which nature has endowed every person,- that is the first objective of the national education [11, c.139 ].

         French publicity strived for a new schooling type formation, adapted to the real needs which could absorb all progressive changes of the economic and social life. Idea of the general training was put forward by the French revolution ideologists Kondorse, Lavuazie which enunciated principles of the public education state organization, a sole schooling system, implementation of the natural-science disciplines and their practical usage. The priority program was the development of the vocational and adult education [10].

         At the beginning of the XIX th century, primary education was held in the domain of church, in its turn secondary and higher education were under state control. Legislation of the first half of the XIX th century laid the foundation of the French education system. Particularly, the compulsory seven-year primary education which was got by children aged 6 to 13 in the public schools of the lower and higher levels was proclaimed due to the law of 1882 [9, с. 308]. There were 7439 school cooperative societies at public village schools [6, c.156].

         Schooling of the secondary level was represented by lyceums and colleges, where in the higher classes the lessons were delivered under the following sections ‘Literature’ – cycle of the humanities and ‘Science’- physico-mathematical and science-natural disciplines with direction to commercial subjects studying.

         The following reform of the French secondary education was conducted in 1864 when two sections were revoked and a sole type of the classical education was established instead and had been preserved up to the beginning of the XX th century. A separate place in its structure was singled out to commercial schools that were divided into man and woman schools. The first woman commercial school was open in Lyons (1856) afterwards in Paris (1885). Teaching lasted 2 or 3 years and was almost free.  Girls could be enrolled there at the age of 14 after finishing woman primary school [3].

7 higher and 4 secondary commercial schools were estimated in France within 1886, where 1517 students studied during 1886/87school year. The author of the article of Brokhauzer’s and Ephon’s encyclopedia notes that ‘the course of the commercial education in France was substantiated more fully; but more profoundly was prepared the course of the higher schools’ [2].

         Higher commercial schools in France foresaw two-year course; they more reminded the type of the higher educational institutions, but didn’t satisfy the need put forth for example to the universities.  Deeper commercial education was given in Ecole des hautes commerciales in Paris [2]. It was established in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and had become one of the world's foremost business schools.  Most business schools were created decades later, at the end of the XIX th century, and were less attractive than universities. The École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) specialized in the fields of management. School combined general disciplines taught in the secondary schools with commercial subjects. Despite its ambition and the quality of its teachers (often chosen among prestigious Parisian academics), the school was considered as a second chance for upper-class children who did not want to attend university and a way to shorten compulsory military service (one year instead of three). As a result, HEC suffered from a lack of attractiveness at least until the 1930s. Created in 1892, the entrance examination was removed between 1906 and 1913. In 1921, the school introduced the case-based method of the Harvard Business School, but most of lectures remained theoretical. In 1938, HEC program was lengthened to 3 years.

         The determined normal syllabuses and programs had been issued for secondary schools by that time, but they hadn’t got full implementation on practice. Besides them, there were many other differently organized commercial schools for employees. Commercial schools in France were maintained for the account of various associations, cities, private entrepreneurs; government provided with subsidy only in the exceptional cases.  For example, the Association philotechnique  - had 7 divisions in Paris in 18859 (for adult men), 8- for women and 4 mixed. Paris organized 15 courses for girls and 20 for boys [2].

         During the first half of the XIX th century Polytechnic Association and Education League were established in France with the aim of providing the adult with appropriate vocational education. This work had been done by so-called ‘Liudovyi universytet’(Public university) the initiator of such established institutions was Zhorzh  Deerm since the XIXth century.  The first university was set up in Paris in 1890, students of which were chiefly workers. Those universities were maintained by communities, some of them founded cooperative societies, the expenses on the education work were covered from income. Lecturing, adult courses, discussions, vocational courses etc. were organized there. 85 Public universities were estimated on the year 1924 [5, c. 91- 92]. In the post-war period education was notable for its class character that was presented in the founding of the 1st working-class university in Sekvan.

         At the beginning of the XIX th century public universities began their existence  in Belgium under the French influence, the first one was open in Monet (1901) and on the date of 1908  they were estimated as 45 [7, c. 263].

         English schooling system in spite of the most of the European countries was formed only at the end of the XIX th century and was under full control of church [8]. Only one-fourth of the infancy population could get elementary education. The reformation of the education model started with adopting Big Reformation Act in 1832, the commenced state participation in the public education concern. Due to the ‘Foster’s Law’ in 1870 general compulsory education of the children aged 5 to 13 was implemented as well as local school committees were created which shouldered responsibility to open and maintaine necessary in the particular region schools [8]. Elementary education could be got in the day schools –voluntary, committee and evening. Secondary school was exceptionally in the private individuals’ hands and was divided into 3 categories: public schools, local schools and school, which were maintained by the entrepreneurs, different companies and councils [8, с. 97 ]. Though, English school of that time could be classified into the following levels: 1) kindergartens (children from 3 to 5); 2) primary schools (aged 5 to 14); 3) schools of the second level –higher primary schools, supplementary schools, technical schools, commercial schools and state secondary schools (from 14 to 18); 4) higher schools (from 18).

There were main features of the English commercial schools order such as:

1.    The commercial schools were divided into full-time and part time schools, the last were intended for the youth already working in the trade or commercial field. The education was organized during day hours or in the evening. These classes were financed by private individuals. These two types equally provided students with necessary disciplines and gave them a right to enter higher institutions or universities after passing a set of special exams.

2.    There was some freedom in the system of such schools organization,  the way of their maintaining, the development of educational  programs and methods of teaching .

3.    School management was in the hands of government, Board of Education was a ruling body, and there was a wide spectrum for private initiation that implemented new practical basis of this type of schooling [12, c.9].

The amount of students of the English Commercial schools in the interwar period substantially raised .That peculiar type of schooling played a significant role in the English schooling system.  Those schools organized scientifically provided the youth with a profound vocational qualification by simultaneous studying and training at factories or organizations were they could acquire practical experience.  Students’ acknowledgments were rewarded by special awards, scholarship and getting diploma.

         The additional form of the vocational knowledge provision was cooperative and educative work. English workers founded societies in the lines of Oven’s studies and set up so-called Mechanics Institutions, where workers got natural and technical education indispensable for fulfillment of specialty. 1895 was characterized with the opening of the first school for labour children and evening or supplementary classes for adult where people aged 12 to 21 studied [5, c.92].

         1880s are pointed on the historical map as a period of the English cooperative movement flourishing and gave birth to a significant need in high-skill workers. In a Council of the English Cooperative Societies in 1885, educational department was specially set up the task of which was to conduct advocacy of the cooperative idea and education. Reskin’s Club was appointed in Oxford in 1899 where workers had a chance to study economics, trade’s history, science of the state and sociology. The follower Menebidge of such a program instituted the Educational Workers Educational Association (WEA) in 1903.  The Association observed neutrality in political and religious issues, but was to diffuse higher education among workers.

         WEA initiated the setting up of the ‘university educational courses’. Wide and fruitful activity in the educational field was developed by the English cooperators. Since 1912 the Educational department of the Cooperative Union had established cooperative vocational courses for adult with a specially prepared program for youth. In Manchester, the main centre of cooperation, the cooperative university was founded where foreign students from Austria, India, and Iceland had a possibility to study. Besides, there were as far back as three permanent secondary cooperative schools for adult cooperator’s training. Another type of education was represented by the working colleges which were founded by Workings Men’s Co-e and Ruskin College. The first one was the oldest and the best organized non-boarding club established in 1862. Organizationally it was an association of the educational unions and social institutions, university professors taught there. The second was founded in 1899 and determined on the managers’ training for the working movement. The curriculum foresaw one or two years. That college was under the working organizations control. Apart from studding, there were correspondent courses. Typical for English educational systems was great movement of adult schools which were mainly on Sunday.  The education in England in the afterward period became a part of the whole national interest and a general renewal:  dynamically and intensely developed [5, c. 94-95 ].

RESULTS

Carried out analysis gives grounds to state that formation of the educational national system of West-European countries fell on the XIX th century. The main trends of the school development  were: substantiation of the state school legislation, organization of the school matter management by interrelation of two tendencies - centralization and decentralization, concordance of the education character with attachment to particular social status, the process of school setting apart church,   education significance increasing among people, proclamation of the general compulsory education principles, organization of the public educational institutions of the elementary and secondary levels,  awareness and the need of practical knowledge.  Special type of educational institutions formation appeared to provide with civil training, that prepared to the entry to life, to the participation in production and social activity, helped students to adopt to real actual and timely act on economical, political and social changes, separation of the schools into two categories was inevitable: general and special destination notably creation of vocational educational institutions.

CONCLUSION

         Though we may say, that at the end of the XIX th century consolidation of the distinctive national peculiarities and general for different countries features, which reflected progressive tendencies of society of that time development  were observed  in the educational systems of the developed countries of  West Europe. Singling out of the leading educational priorities took place within the scope of these systems formation. On the one hand, humanistic ideas of the past influenced that process where the inheriting connection was traced, on the other hand - socioeconomic conditions and need of that time.

     Literature

1.    Галущинський М. Позашкільна освіта. – Львів, 1927. - 45 с.

2.    Коммерческое образование. Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефона, т. 15 А. СПб., 1895

3.    Захарченко М. М. Коммерческое и техническое женское образованіе в Австріи, Франціи, Германіи и Россіи / М. М. Захарченко. – СПб. : Типография В. Киршбаума, 1900. – 344 с.

4.    Зашкільняк Л. Крикун М. Історія ПОЛЬЩІ: Від найдавніших часів до наших дів. Львів: Львівський національний університет імені Івана Франкаб 2002. – 752с.

5.    Кооперативна Республика. Економічно-суспільний місячник. – Львів, 1932. – Ч. 3.- Березень.

6.    Кооперативна Республика. Економічно-суспільний місячник. – Львів, 1932. – Ч. 4.- Квітень. –Річник.

7.    Кооперативна Республика. Економічно-суспільний місячник. – Львів, 1932. – Ч. 7-8.- Липень – Серпень.

8.    Народное образование в Англии, Уэльсе. Шотландии и Ирландии. – Москва, 902. – 184 с.

9.    Народне шкільництво Франциї // Учитель. – 1902. – Ч. 20. –с. 308-311.

10. Просвещение в странах мира. – М.: Просвещение, 1967. – 320 с.

11. Сіроолко С. Просвіта і демократія // Калєндар товариства «Просвіта» за звичайний ік 1931. – Львів, 1931. – С. 139-140.

12. Сірополко С. Школознавство: конспект лекцій, читаних в Українському педагогічному інституті ім. М. Драгоманова у Празі в 1925/26 шк. р. – Прага: Сіяч, 1926. – 64 с.

 

        

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Рецензія

На статтю аспірантки кафедри педагогіки ім. Б. Ступарика

А.І. Шайнер «Становлення європейської моделі комерційної освіти через аналіз діяльності навчальних закладів Франції та Англії»

Тема статті, обрана А.І. Шайнер для  написання статті, є актуальною для проведення ретроспективного  аналізу вітчизняної школи кінця XIX  першої половини XX століття з урахуванням впливу на освітні державотворчі процеси, зміст і науково-методичне забезпечення навчально-виховного процесу європейських традицій організації навчання та виховання у комерційних навчальних закладах. В ній висвітлюються соціально-економічні умови розвитку комерційної освіти в досліджуваних державах. У статті використаний науковий доробок українських та зарубіжних вчених, що досліджували цю проблему, архівні джерела, нормативно-правові документи, що висвітлені в періодиці того часу «Кооперативна Республика. Економічно-суспільний місячник». Автор статті аналізує потребу розвитку мережі комерційних закладів, дає визначення цьому типу навчальних закладів, їхню структуру, показує труднощі та перешкоди, які стояли на шляху  їх розвитку, а також висвітлює діяльність державних органів та приватних осіб,  яким підпорядковувалась тогочасна система комерційної освіти Франції та Англії.

         Стаття А.І. Шайнер спирається як на широку базу документальних матеріалів, так і на результати наукових досліджень її попередників і дає можливість ознайомитися зі станом та розвиток даної освітньої ланки в Франції та Англії в досліджуваний період. Матеріал статті викладено в логічній послідовності та доступною мовою.

         Рекомендую статтю А.І. Шайнер «Становлення європейської моделі комерційної освіти через аналіз діяльності навчальних закладів Франції та Англії» до друку.

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