Secondary School Graduation: University Entrance Qualification in Socialist Countries

Secondary School Graduation: University Entrance Qualification in Socialist Countries: A Comparative Study is a comparative study of the qualifications of secondary school students for university entrance in five socialist countries (Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, and USSR). The importance of terminal awards to social and educational policy is emphasized. This monograph is comprised of five chapters and opens with an overview of the research project and its aims as well as the methodology used, followed by a discussion on the expansion of secondary education as a trend in industrial societies. The problem situation of secondary stage II education in relation to the terminal awards with higher education entrance qualification is also considered. The following chapters explore similarities and differences in the socialist system of education; the structural characteristics of secondary level II; educational policy in the socialist states; and the desire to incorporate secondary stage II into the sphere of compulsory schooling in all five countries. This text will appeal to educators and policymakers as well as students entering university.