10 XXIV CESE Conference 2010 1 THE ORGANIZATION OF THE GREEK UPPER SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WITHIN ITS EUROPEAN CONTEXT Dr Eleftheria Argyropoulou University of Crete GREECE Important notice: Some of the numbers and/or statutory framework regulations are to be altered soon, as a new bulky educational bill passes through parliamentary vote this week. Vocational education principles and structure have been announced to be reorganized. A complete and updated report of these changes will be presented and disseminated in paper work during the Conference. Introduction In this study an attempt is made to compare three countries’ (Greece, France and Sweden) vocational education systems at the Upper Secondary Level. The comparison is based on organizational features that primarily underpin the application of concepts closely related to Vocational Education. The rationale behind this comparison is the way each country conceives and realizes the general educational directives issued by the European Union and the role of localities behind the attempts of this realization in each country. Europe is a mosaic of countries; this means that a wide range of traditions, habits, mentalities, economies, practices and technological applications have to harmonize in order to meet the prime aim of the Union, the economic growth. “Europeanization may represent a critical juncture, at which choices are made to minimize or maximize institutional changes”, (Powell and Solga, 2008). Some countries are easier to adapt, some others are not. Quite often, systems are not ready or willing to adopt an externally imposed change, a ‘constraint innovation” so as to use Campbell’s wording (2004). This is not because they are retrogressive but because changes are not “consistent with their specific cultural and structural characteristics” (Powell and Solga, ibidem), hence, causing extra8 national criticism and –in some cases8 condemn. Specific cultural characteristics may lead to a different understanding and, consequently, approach of externally imposed concepts, such as, equality of opportunities in education or democratic education. This diverse understanding, in its turn, may lead further to differentiated institutional changes, which tend to be consistent to the national mentality and societal dynamics but they seem to move away from what is considered a European convergence framework. The Copenhagen Declaration (2002) has pointed the necessity for European cooperation in enhancing the effectiveness of Vocational Education and Training systems. Among the goals stated then was the upgrading of Vocational Education systems in the member States. Most members States had revised Vocational Education regulations at the end of the previous decade while others are planning to do so by 2011. Institutional changes will head towards certain pre8mediated dimensions, such as, a common European framework