Education Coffee 30
The Apprenticeship System and the Creation of a Learning Framework for the Modern University System
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In 2015, I wrote a white paper about how the learning framework that the modern university system offers its students has its origin in the apprenticeship system that originated in the Guilds of the Medieval Age. I want to publish some excerpts of that paper here as I reinvestigated some of these ideas recently. This is part 2 of that whitepaper. You can read Part 1 of this whitepaper at this link.
Part 2 - Making Apprenticeships Matter in K-12 and Higher Education Settings
The English philosopher and historian Hastings Rashdall published the book 'The Universities of Europe in the Middle Ages' in 1895 where he commented that, 'the university was a distinctly medieval institution.'
Even with its Greek Precursors (Platonic, Sophist and Pythagorean influences) there is evidence that idea of the university (in terms of its organizational structure) originated in the medieval age. The first medieval universities were organized as scholars guilds. Examples include the University of Bologna, which had developed a reputation for law; and the University of Cambridge which had developed a reputation for philosophy.
Various aspects of the design of the modern university we have in place around the world today have been influenced by the design of the universities of the medieval age. These scholars guilds in turn were influenced by the Guild System of professionals and craftsman in the Medieval Ages. For instance, there was a guild of bakers, a guild of mechanics, a guild of metalworkers, and so on. To become part of the guild you had to go through a special kind of training process which we refer to as 'The Apprenticeship System'.
The ancient apprenticeship system had its origin in the Guild System of the Medieval Age. An apprentice would start his training with a journeyman or master craftsman of the guild anywhere between the age of 15 to 19. He would then spend 7 years learning all the tools and tricks of the trade with the more competent master craftsman. After this he would be certified as a journeyman and would then spend 5 years or more practicing their trade as a traveling journeyman or through a shop in their town. During this period the journeyman also worked on their masterpiece, which they presented to the master craftsman after completion. If accepted the journeyman would then become a master craftsman too and could officially practice his trade with that certification (several benefits for a master practitioner in the town) and he was also allowed to take on and teach his own batch of apprentices.
The modern apprenticeship system can find its origin in the vocational and specialized technical training institutes that sprung up during the Industrial Age. These were created to fulfill the need of several industries for skilled labour and manpower. Several countries like France, Germany, China, Japan, Britain developed vocational education and technical training programs to skill the human resource of their nation for the jobs available during the period. Efforts were also made to make these institutes part of the normal education system of the country. But very few countries succeeded in doing so. Here are some notes on attempts by different countries to create their own apprenticeship learning systems
Apprenticeships in Germany
Germany after the World War II had relative independence to start off from scratch because their economy was in ruins and the only way they could now go was up. So they opted for the tripartite system or dual education system. Students at high school could take up an academic path leading to university or a vocational path leading to a vocational school. Students can receive this training in over 342 trades in Germany. After World War II, Germany had to create an education system from scratch. They opted for a dual education system that allowed student to take up either an academic or a vocational pathway during high school. Katelyn Andell (2008) who was a major in Government and European Studies at the College of William and Mary commented about the model of education followed in Germany in her paper titled, 'A Country Divided: A Study of the German Education System' published in the International Studies Journal - 'The Monitor' as such,
'The tripartite system familiar in Germany today began after the war and consisted of the Gymnasium, Realschule and Hauptschule as outlined in the Dusseldorf Agreement in 1955. The idea of Gymnaisum, lauded by humanists such as Wilhelm von Humboldt, originates in the early 1800's. It offers an advanced general education for students intending to attend a university. Traditionally the university entrance exam, the Abitur, is taken during the thirteenth year of Gymnasium...The Realschule is an intermediate school offering an extended general and vocational education. A student receives leaving certificate after sixteen years of Realschule instruction as well as the opportunity to receive on the job training, employment in public service and access to technical and secondary II level schools. Most graduates will find work in the commercial and service sectors...The Hauptschule is the vocational track of the tripartite system. Students concentrate on "work studies," in addition to classes taught based on the students ability. Students receive a leaving certificate following completion of the Hauptschule, which should provide access to apprenticeships, careers at the lower and middle levels of public service and vocational schools with a specific, professional focus...Comprehensive schools (Gesamtschulen) were first established in the 1950s in a few Western states as an experimental alternative to the tripartite system' (Andell. K, 2008. pg. 16,17).
Till the age of ten, most students in Germany go through four years of primary school education. Then they have the option of choosing between three pathways to receive their middle and higher secondary education. The first pathway Gymnaisum lasts from Grade 5 to Grade 12 and is more academic in nature for students that want to take up a university education. The second pathway, Realschule has two parts. The first part of the Realschule goes from Grade 5 to Grade 10 and students take up the general school curriculum at this stage. The second part of the Realschule goes from Grade 11 to Grade 12, where students take up a vocational education path. The third pathway is the Hauptschule which again has two parts. The first part of the Hauptschule goes from Grade 5 to Grade 9 and students take up general school curriculum at this stage. The students can then take up a vocational education pathway that may or may not involve an apprenticeship with a skilled practitioner for three years from Grade 10 to Grade 12. Thus students can opt for either a more academic learning pathway till the 12th Grade in a Gymnasium or a more vocational pathway till the 12th Grade through the Realschule or Hauptschule pathways.
In 1969, a law titled the Berufsbildungsgesetz was passed that regulated the vocational training system. It was now the combined responsibility of the state, the unions, associations and the chambers of trade and industry to organize and regulate vocation training and apprenticeship opportunities for students who opted for this pathway while at school. The standards for over 342 trades were developed by employers and the chamber of commerce where an apprenticeship learning program could be completed by the student. Everything from the time taken to the content to be covered during the apprenticeship was laid out clearly after the above law was passed. Apprenticeships are available for various professions like baking, electricians, mechanics, laboratory assistants and more. Each apprenticeship could last for anywhere between anywhere between 2-3 years. After the apprenticeship, the student becomes a journeyman and can enter a master's school. The training at the master's school can be completed in one year if the student enrolls full time in the course. At the end of the master's course the student becomes a master craftsman or Meister of his profession. This master craftsman can then train a new batch of apprentices.
Apprenticeships in India
In the education system in India, students have to go through the following stages pre-school, kindergarten, nine years of compulsory primary and middle school (first to eighth grade), two years of secondary school (ninth and tenth grade), two years of higher secondary school or pre-university (eleventh and twelfth grade) and then higher education (three to four year undergraduate course and a two year post graduate course). There is a public school K-12 system that has several different boards and is regulated by a central authority like the SSC, CBSE, ICSE. There are several private and international schools and also a national open school facility available to most students.
During the Wardha Conference in 1937, where Mahatma Gandhi was one of the chairs, and it was decided that vocational education would be an important and mandatory part of secondary education in India.
However the recommendations by two Education Commissions setup at the time (1948 and 1952) led to contrary and widely contested decisions which eventually made vocational education pathway in India optional and not compulsory like the academic path. The commission remarked that,
"Secondary Education continues to be the weakest link in our educational machinery and needs urgent reform."
It made an important recommendation to increase the secondary schooling course to twelve years instead of ten years. The additional two years (11th and 12th Grade) would be merely an academic path. In most Higher Secondary Indian schools today, students only have the option to choose between three streams of Commerce, Science and the Arts. If they want to take up vocational education, they often do not have any facilities available within the institution.
To take up an apprenticeship or vocational training program, students had to enroll in a public Industrial Training Institute or private Industrial Training Centre. Not too many students opt for the vocational pathway because it is not mandatory and not given equal recognition and status. Most students finish their 12th Grade exams and then start an undergraduate degree at university of their choice. This is normally followed by a masters degree in a similar or related subject. Many of the graduates from these programs do not get employment immediately after their graduation in technical fields because they may not have the the skill set to add value in an industrial setting that requires vocational or technical training. Most students from these universities can become researchers or professors (if they pursue a PhD and continue research). But because students from most Indian institutions never had the opportunity to take up an apprenticeship at high school or be exposed to a more technical trade, they are less likely to opt for more technical trade oriented careers.
But even with these constraints, students that want to take up a more vocational pathway can do so by enrolling in an Industrial Training Institute or an industrial Training Centre after passing their 10th standard exams. The course at the ITI normally lasts for 3 years after which the student is eligible to appear in the All India Trade Test (AITT) that is conducted by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). After passing this exam students get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) for that specific trade. Then the students who have the NTC, take up an apprenticeship or trainee position to undergo practical training in an actual industrial setting. This second training phase last for about two years. After this students can appear for a second test conducted by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). After they pass this second test they will get the National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) and are officially certified to practice and propagate their trade.
Apart from the above framework, another parallel system for apprenticeship training programs exists in the country. The Apprenticeship Act was enacted in 1961. This act laid out the program of training for various industries and was created by the Central Apprenticeship Council. The act was amended twice in 1973 and 1983 to incorporate the training of diploma engineers and 10+2 technician apprentices. The responsibility for regulating this program and making apprenticeship opportunities available to the students lies with the Directorate Union Ministry of Labour.
Apprenticeships in the U.K
In the United Kingdom, most students at the K-12 level go through five key stages
3-5 years - Early Years and Foundation Stage - Nursery and Kindergarten
5-11 years - Primary Education
11-14 years - Secondary Education - Ist to 3rd Form
14 - 16 years - Secondary Education - 4th to 5th Form after which they take
their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Exams
16-19 years - Secondary Education - Sixth Form during which they can take the
academic path by opting to give the A-Level Exams (General Certificate of
Education Advanced Level or can opt to take a more vocational path through the
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ's).
Students that opt for the academic path then enroll in a university and can complete a bachelors, masters and doctorate degree based on the required degree of specialization in their field of expertise. Students that opt for the vocational path can choose to specialize in one of the eleven areas of the economy as specified by the NVQ which are:
Tending animals, plants and land
Extracting and providing natural resources
Constructing
Engineering
Manufacturing
Transporting
There are five levels of NVQs for each of these fields that the student has to go through to get the NVQ for that field. In addition to the above facility, after completing their high school, students that opt for the more vocational path can register with the City and Guilds of London Institute that has been offering vocational educational through apprenticeships since the 1870s. In 2009 the UK Government started the National Apprenticeship Service under which they designed Apprenticeship Frameworks for over 180 Trades in the manufacturing, high technology and service sector. These frameworks are now being used as standards by training organizations that aim to make young individuals competent practitioners of each of their fields. Most frameworks had a knowledge based element, a competence based element, minimum level of functional skills of math, english and IT, an employment rights and responsibilities element to ensure that the individual understands his rights and responsibilities in the workplace. The Government of UK celebrated National Apprenticeship Week from March 9th to March 13th, 2015 to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
Thus the central thesis of this document is that the modern university systems currently in place in various countries around the world offer its students a learning framework that has its origin in the ancient apprenticeship system that originated in the Medieval Age in the professional guilds of the time. Though the modern university system was highly influenced philosophically by the Greek schools of thought (Platonic, Sophist and Pythagorean), it can trace its underlying organizational structure to the scholar guilds of the medieval ages. You became a member of this guild after you go through a 7-10 year apprenticeship training period that ensured you were competent in the area of expertise of the guild. Similarly you became a competent practitioner in the modern university system after you received your undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate of philosophy degrees which normally involved 7-10 years of study in the subject you plan to specialize in.
Thus the first prototype of the university was the Scholars Guilds of the Medieval Ages where competent subject experts came together to promote common interests. This led to the creation of the first universities in the Western World at Salerno, Bologna, Paris and Cambridge. These universities eventually evolved into the German Research University of the Industrial Age in the 16th and 17th Century. This then evolved into the modern American Research University from the 18th to the 21st Century, that Clark Kerr termed as the multiversity. The American research universities created between the years of 1600 to 1900 were well supported by the work of passionate educators in their individual states and central acts like the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 and the G.I Bill of 1944.
The American Research University of the 21st century has managed to take the best of the Platonic, Sophist and Pythagorean Schools of Thought to create a new kind of institution that has schools of arts and liberal arts, professional schools and applied research institutes. But what runs through every stage of evolution of the idea of the university is this idea that individual becomes a competent practitioner of their field at the end of their time at this institute of learning.
The Guild System of the Medieval Age had its flaws. But it must be credited with the creation of a learning framework (apprenticeship - journeyman - master craftsman) that had expertise, competence and mastery learning as its very core elements. As the young apprentice moved through various stages of training and eventually became a journeyman and then a master craftsman, he developed various essential skill sets. A master craftsman was almost always a skilled practitioner of his or her field.
But is this the case with the modern university system? Is the modern university system biased towards careers or professions that involve more academic pursuits? Is this unfair to students that opt for other professions that do not always necessitate the collection of an undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate of philosophy degrees? As individuals we have all engaged with the modern education system of our countries in one way or another whether at the school (K-12) or at the university (Higher Education) level. I am 22 years old as I write this paper in 2015, I have spent over 16 years of my life in the modern education system of my country. This is huge investment of time on my part. Does it then not become my responsibility to clearly understand why the modern education system (schools and universities) was designed the way it was designed?
If a student after completing a 4 year degree program or a longer higher education training program (post graduate and doctorate) is still not able to apply his knowledge in a real world context or can still not be hired for a job in the field they wish to specialize in, then there is a problem with the structure of the course at these higher education institutes. It is important we question this basic learning framework of the modern university system and see if it meets our needs or simply exists as an economic and political institution in its own right.
But as we discuss this we must also realize that the solution will not always entail completely abolishing what is in place. Clark Kerr writing in 1963 wrote about the important knowledge creation role that the modern universities play as such,
'University centers have a tendency to coalesce...The highest peaks of the future will rise from the highest plateaus.. One such plateau runs from Boston to Washington. At the universities and laboratories situated along this range are found 46 percent of the American Nobel Prize winner in the sciences and 40 percent of the members of the National Academy of the Sciences. A second range with its peaks runs along the California coast...The California mountain range has 36 percent of the Nobel Laureates in science and 20 percent of the members of the National Academy of Sciences. The Big Ten and Chicago constitute a third range of academic peaks, with 10 percent of the Nobel Laureates and 14 percent of the members of the National Academy of Sciences. These three groupings of universities - the East Coast, California, and the Big Ten and Chicago - currently produce over three quarters of the doctorates conferred in the United States. Another range may be in the process of development in Texas-Louisiana area' (Kerr, 1963, pg 69).
Clark Kerr further commented why networks of universities had such powerful knowledge creation infrastructures that encouraged the best scholars of the world to almost naturally want to be situated in these intellectually stimulating hives of knowledge exploration as such,
'The concentration of talent partly follows history - the location of the older private and public universities. Partly it follows industrial strengths and population centers. but it also has its own logic. No one university can cover all specialties, cover them well enough so that there is a sufficient cluster of close intellectual colleagues. The scholar dislikes intellectual isolation and good scholars tend to swarm together. these swarms are extraordinarily productive environments. No library can be complete; nor any graduate curriculum. Some laboratories, to be well used, must be used by more than one university. Thus the Big Ten and Chicago, through their Committee on Institutional Cooperation are merging their library resources, creating a "common market" for graduate students, diversifying their research laboratories on a common -use basis, and parceling out foreign language specializations. Something similar is happening in the University of California System, and between Berkeley and Stanford. Harvard and M.I.T, Princeton and Pennslyvania, among others, run joint research Enterprises' (Kerr, 1963, pg 70).
C.P Snow on February 23rd 1963, delivered the 110th anniversary banquet speech at the Washington University, St Louis where he spoke about this network of American Universities as such,
'And now the scientific achievement of the United States is moving at a rate we all ought to marvel at. Think of the astonishing constellation of talent, particularly in the physical sciences, all down the California Coast, from Berkeley and Stanford, to Pasadena and Los Angeles. There is nothing like that concentration of talent anywhere in the world. It sometimes surprises Europeans to realize how much of the pure science of the entire West is being carried out in the United States. Curiously enough, it often surprises Americans too. At a guess, the figure is something like 80 percent, and might be easily higher' (C.P Snow, 1963).
Let us remind ourselves that this note was written in 1963 before the creation of the Internet and six years before the first human being landed on the moon in 1969. There have been several developments since then in the last five decades.
We also have to remember that many of the more established American Universities were well supported by federal funding from the start and further stimulated during the 1960s space age when the Advanced Research and Projects Association (ARPA) was set up by the US Congress that tapped into these intellectual networks to fund research projects in the space, communication and defense areas that eventually shaped the modern world as we know it. Thus understanding the historical, political and economic influences that led to the creation of the modern university system is as important as understanding the learning framework on offer at these institutions.
Now if the only larger purpose of the modern university is the creation of knowledge (Nobel Prize Winners, National Academy of Science members and Post Doctorate Researchers). Let us assume that certain cognitive and social learning experiences at a consistent rate over a long duration are necessary for individuals that eventually take up careers that involve knowledge creation. Let us make another bold assumption that these cognitive and social learning experiences are not available to individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds. Is it then fair that we design a system that is unfairly biased to careers and professions that involve knowledge creation? Has the modern university system not then evolved into something similar with its rites of passage that involve completing an undergraduate, post graduate and post doctorate program that is often very academic and theoretical in nature? Howmany students will last this academic pathway?
Is it necessary for every student that graduates from high school to become a professor, engineer or research scientist?
What if the student wants to become a sport person, musician, artist, poet, dancer or business person?
What if the student wants to become the world's best electrician, mechanic, metalworker, barber, textile manufacturer?
Don't these professions deserve a fair chance too? Don't these students deserve a fair chance too?
The bigger challenge that this paper aims to address is this,
Can we design a learning framework for the modern education system that includes schools (K-12) and universities (Higher Ed) where the sole objective is not merely collecting an undergraduate, post-graduate and post-doctorate degree? Can we design a learning framework for the modern education system that also allows the students to become a field experts/ master craftsman whether this entails being a musician, scientist or skilled mechanic?
If we can trace the origin of the learning framework on offer at most modern universities to the apprenticeship system that originated in the Guilds of the Medieval Ages, can we then re-explore the apprenticeship system as a learning framework to help us re-design the modern education system so that we incorporate the diversity of human intelligences that exist amongst our species.
We need to find ways to design education systems that help individuals become competent practitioners of their chosen profession. What if we didn’t have to choose between a more academic or a more vocational path? What if we can still work together to design a new path that has the best characteristics of both these learning paradigms? If I am able to initiate discussions and thinking along those lines after you read this paper then I will consider this attempt a success.
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com or on twitter @AbhishekShetty_. You can find my work online at https://abhishekshetty.carrd.co/. If you would like to read similar longform pieces on education in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below.
I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms.
Abhishek
19/09/2023