Education has been dramatically reformed worldwide over the last few decades. In this age of globalisation, student teachers, education students and scholars of the social sciences in general need to take careful note of these changes.

Originally published in 1985. In the last two decades education in the Third World has greatly expanded, raising many important issues. Some less developed countries have emulated the West in the style and organisation of their academic systems, hence, it could be said, increasing their dependence. Others have deliberately avoided this path, experimenting with systems more relevant to development and often in a radical way. At a theoretical level, Marxist and neo-Marxist development theorists argue that education systems dependent on the West are evidence of economic dependency and of the correctness of Marxist development theories; while others argue that the evidence points to an interdependent world and that dependency theories do not apply to education. Interestingly two key Marxist Third World Countries, China and Cuba, have very conservative education systems. This book discusses the problems of dependence and interdependence in education throughout the world.

Comparative and international education / Brendan Bartram -- Alternative education provision : international perspectives / Paul Wiseman -- Pedagogical outlooks underpinning early-years education and workforce training in England and Hungary / Tunde Rozsahegyi and Mike Lambert -- Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education in Dutch and English primary schools / Sarah Elsey -- The technical and vocational provision in England : a comparative study with the Austrian secondary system / Sean Starr -- The rise of private supplementary tutoring : contemporary issues and international perspectives on shadow education in China / Roy Y. Chan, Hei-Hang Hayes Tang, Patrick Delaney -- The impact of austerity in further education : cross-cultural perspectives from England and Ireland / Matt O'Leary and Justin Rami -- Academic, vocational and pre-vocational education origins and developments / Patrick Ainley -- Comparative issues and perspectives in adult education and training / John Field -- International comparisons in mathematics : perspectives on teaching and learning / David Burghes -- Higher education : from global trends to local realities / Richard Budd -- Some final reflections on educational comparison / Brendan Bartram

International and Comparative Education offers detailed and wide-ranging illustrations of the ways in which comparison can illuminate our understanding of contemporary education systems by exploring issues in relation to specific educational sectors, from early-years and primary schooling, through to further, adult and higher education. Key areas and debates examined include: Alternative education provision Early-years pedagogy and training Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in primary schooling Work-related learning in secondary schools The world of private tutoring Economic austerity and further education Apprenticeships and vocational education Adult education and training Higher education in a globalised world Teacher training and international rankings. Drawing on these wide-ranging themes across a number of national contexts to provoke critical thinking and reflection, each chapter includes discussion points and further reading, providing a valuable resource for all Education Studies students.

This volume compiles a unique yet complementary collection of chapters that take a strategic comparative perspective on education systems, regions of the world, and/or ethnolinguistic communities with a focus on non-dominant languages and cultures in education. Comparison and contrast within each article and across articles illustrates the potential for using home languages – which in many cases are in non-dominant positions relative to other languages in society – in inclusive multilingual and multicultural forms of education. The 22 authors demonstrate how bringing non-dominant languages and cultures into schooling has liberatory, transformative potential for learners from ethnolinguistic communities that have previously been excluded from access to quality basic education. The authors deal not only with educational development in specific low-income and emerging countries in Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines Thailand and Vietnam), Latin America (Guatemala and Mexico) and Africa (Mozambique, Senegal and Tanzania), but also with efforts to reach marginalized ethnolinguistic communities in high-income North American countries (Canada and the USA). In the introductory chapter the editors highlight common and cross-cutting themes and propose appropriate, sometimes new terminology for the discussion of linguistic and cultural issues in education, particularly in low-income multilingual countries. Likewise, using examples from additional countries and contexts, the three final chapters address cross-cutting issues related to language and culture in educational research and development. The authors and editors of this volume share a common commitment to comparativism in their methods and analysis, and aim to contribute to more inclusive and relevant education for all. “A richly textured collection which offers a powerful vision of the possible, now and in the future.” Alamin Mazrui, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, USA “This book takes the local perspective of non-dominant language communities in arguing for a multilingual habitus in educational development. Benson and Kosonen masterfully extend theories and clarify terminology that is inclusive of the non-dominant contexts described here.” Ofelia García, City University of New York, USA