This paper examines recent empirical work on the lived experience of learners in post-compulsory education. The starting point is a brief examination of the socio-economic context of the sector. Despite the sophistication of analyses of learning cultures, a more radical approach is needed. Failure to do so renders these analyses amenable to…

British students enrolled in a pre-vocational Certificate of Further Education (CFE) program were interviewed to determine their attitudes towards and views of the program. The students were very committed to the program because they saw it as a means to an end, e.g., as a way to enter another course. (RM)

Analyzes the premise that education in Great Britain should serve to meet the economic requirements of society through training people in all sectors of the educational system--the school, further education, and higher education. Stresses the complexity of further education in reproducing social and technical relations. (Author/KC)