Secondary comprehensive school. Possibilities and contradictions of educational reforms

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the principal features of educational systems evolution in developed countries, emphasising the secondary schooling. There is an overview of educational reforms, specially the reforms called «comprehensives», that they want to unify the curricula and integrate academic and vocational education. We analyse the strength and weakness in the definition and their implementation. Finally, we add some reflections about successes and failures of comprehensive reforms in Spain.