In the half century since the World War II, France has developed from a conservative, semi-rural society in which the great majority of the population had only a primary education to a highly developed modern one with a remarkably well-educated and well-trained citizenry and labour force. Technical and vocational education, which before 1960 were confined to an enclave within the French education system, now permeate the entire system. Business and industry, long isolated from education, now play a major role in educational decision making. The French educational system today meets the demand for skilled personnel in almost all fields while maintaining "a complement of general culture." The first book in English to treat the important subject of technical education in France, Schools and Work places technical education within the larger field of French public education, including the administrative and political backdrop, European industrial development, the nature of work, and global competitiveness.

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"Day's scholarship is profound. He reveals the debates, tensions, and accommodations with remarkable clarity. This is a worthy addition to his earlier work and makes a serious advance in combining education, technology, and industrial needs." Patrick Harrigan, Department of History, University of Waterloo "This is an important book based on impressive scholarship. Day uses archival materials but also offers much in the way of synthesizing sources less likely to be known to North American or English readers." Linda Clark, Professor of History, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

"Day's scholarship is profound. He reveals the debates, tensions, and accommodations with remarkable clarity. This is a worthy addition to his earlier work and makes a serious advance in combining education, technology, and industrial needs." Patrick Harrigan, Department of History, University of Waterloo
"This is an important book based on impressive scholarship. Day uses archival materials but also offers much in the way of synthesizing sources less likely to be known to North American or English readers." Linda Clark, Professor of History, Millersville University of Pennsylvania