Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform

Front Cover
Iris C. Rotberg
R&L Education, 2004 - Education - 431 pages
Editor Iris C. Rotberg brings together, in one accessible source, current education reforms in 16 countries, written and analyzed by experts in the field. This book offers: education reform in a wide range of countries selected to represent diverse societies and education systems; a unique analysis of how education reformers respond to rapidly changing societies and increased demand for education in the face of limited resources; case studies showing the difficult tradeoffs countries make as they attempt to implement change, all in the context of historical antecedents, values, and political structures that facilitate or constrain their reform efforts; a book that goes beyond myths and stereotypes and describes how countries address global pressures, immigration patterns, and increasing gaps in socioeconomic levels; description of political and economic pressures that determine a country's policies concerning equality of educational opportunity, access to higher education, student testing and tracking, teacher accountability, decentralization, school choice, and innovation; an invaluable resource for policymakers, faculty, students, and the general public who are interested in how decisions made about the education system will ultimately affect the quality of education, educational access, and social justice.
 

Selected pages

Contents

China Turning the Bad Master into a Good Servant
3
Russia Struggling with the Aftermath
21
South Africa Overcoming Past Injustice
53
Chile Vouchers and Beyond
83
Germany After Reunification
109
Letting Go
125
France Diverse Populations Centralized Administration
127
Turkey Innovation and Tradition
153
Singapore Schools in the Service of Society
245
Canada A Multicultural Policy
261
New Zealand Empowering Teachers and Children
283
England New Governments New Policies
315
Australia The Challenges of Poverty Pedagogy and Pathways
347
United States Americas Orgy of Reform
359
On Change Tradition and Choices
385
Index
415

Sweden A Welfare State in Transition
187
Israel From Egalitarianism to Competition
207
Japan Encouraging Individualism Maintaining Community Values
229
Transitions
243
About the Contributors
425
About the Editor
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

Iris C. Rotberg, editor, is research professor of education policy at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After beginning her career as a research psychologist, she entered the field of public policy research, holding positions with the National Science Foundation, RAND, the National Institute of Education, and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Her research reports, articles, and commentaries address issues of school reform, testing and accountability, international education, science education, and federal policy for financing education. She has conducted research for the U.S. Congress on policy options for improving the education of low-income students, technology and human resources, and the outcomes of federal education programs. Her articles and commentaries appear in such publications as Science, Brookings Papers on Education Policy, Phi Delta Kappan, The Bridge, Harvard Educational Review, The Washington Post, and Education Week.