Introduction: Two streams in education policy?

Abstract

This text is a commentary to four papers included in this volume, i.e. Cristina Allemann- Ghionda^ paper on higher education reforms in Germany, Helena Anna Jędrzejczaka discussion on educating a new generation of humanities graduates, Anna Klimczak’s contribution on the ‘hidden university’ and the paper by Bartłomiej Błesznowski and Michał Bujalski on education policies in the post-modern society. The author analyses the influence exerted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union on education policies developed in Poland and in other member States. One of the questions addressed is how the OECD framework, based on competence definition and measurement, impacts education policies. On the one hand, this framework assumes rationalisation of the the educational system (a higher efficiency of the education system in 'producing competencies and human capital’ becomes a policy goal), and, on the other hand, the concept of competence assumes that competences should enable self-fulfilment of individuals.