ABSTRACT
Paid Educational Leave (PEL) is regarded by some as a key component in any strategy for expanding educational opportunities for adults, by others as a chimera. The chapter reviews the position of PEL in a number of countries. It sets out a range of factors determining the form PEL takes in different national contexts: legislative framework, the character and structure of industrial relations, cultural context and so on. Particular attention is paid to the French experience, with its distinction between congé formation professionelle and congé individuel formation and the integration of PEL into joint decision-making. The chapter appraises prospects for the development of PEL in the UK. It argues that there are dangers in promoting an occupational benefit, but suggests specific avenues for concrete progress.
