Abstract

The paper analyses cultural heritage education policies for young people, by comparing four organisations which deal with sites and monuments in France and the UK (Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Réseau des Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire, English Heritage, National Trust). Although these are different kind of organisations, they all have created organic networks of education services on a national scale. In the last twenty years, both the rise in the cultural demand and the new pressure for funding have changed the traditional image of education services. Some problems are analysed: the widening area covered by Education (communication, teacher training, educational resources); the widening audiences (school, families, individual children, disadvantaged young people); the professional profile of the Education Officer; the problem of funding and the possible conflict between educational and economic goals. Finally, a comparison with Italy is made, where the last years have seen new opportunities for Education but also risks posed by the private management of sites: how it is possible to create an Italian model of education services network?