Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform

In Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform, Rotberg brings together examples of current education reforms in sixteen countries, written by "insiders". This book goes beyond myths and stereotypes and describes the difficult trade-offs countries make as they attempt to implement reforms in the context of societal and global change. In some countries, reforms are a response to major political or economic shifts; in others, they are motivated by large upsurges in immigration and increased student diversity. Irrespective of the reasons for education reform, all countries face decisions about resource allocation, equality of educational opportunity across diverse populations, access to higher education, student testing and tracking, teacher accountability, school choice, and innovation. The essays in this volume reveal: · the policy choices about the school reforms made by countries throughout the world · the consequences associated with these choices · the role that societal values, historical antecedents, and political structures play in facilitating or constraining reform Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is an invaluable resource for policymakers, faculty, students, and anyone interested in how decisions made about the education system ultimately affect the quality of education, educational access, and social justice.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Foreword Part 2 Part I: Dramatic Political/Economic Change Chapter 3 China: Turning the Bad Master into a Good Servant Chapter 4 Russia: Struggling with the Aftermath Chapter 5 South Africa: Overcoming Past Injustice Chapter 6 Chile: Vouchers and Beyond Chapter 7 Germany: After Reunification Part 8 Part II: Letting Go Chapter 9 France: Diverse Populations, Centralized Administration Chapter 10 Turkey: Innovation and Tradition Chapter 11 Sweden: A Welfare State in Transition Chapter 12 Israel: Equity and Competition in the Grip of Centralized Bureaucracy Chapter 13 Japan: Encouraging Individualism, Maintaining Community Values Part 14 Part III: Transitions Chapter 15 Singapore: Schools in the Service of Society Chapter 16 Canada: A Multicultural Policy Chapter 17 New Zealand: Empowering Teachers and Children Chapter 18 England: New Governments, New Policies Chapter 19 Australia: The Challenges of Poverty, Pedagogy, and Pathways Chapter 20 United States: America's Orgy of Reform Part 21 Concluding Thoughts: On Change, Tradition, and Choices

About the Author :
Iris C. Rotberg is a research professor of education policy at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Review :
The book is, in essence, a world tour of public education in the early twenty-first century. For every teaching and learning issue that divides this country, the book shows that several other countries are having the same argument. For every cry of despair at the assorted failures of American schools, Rotberg introduces a host of nations—including some that American critics admire—who are hearing the same complaints about their education systems from their own experts. The chapters are...lucid, accessible, and insightful, and the concluding chapter is a thoughtful synthesis of the themes that weave throughout the book....Rotberg gets the editing business right; as a result, education policy makers, scholars, and practitioners interested in comparative education reform will find the book's sum is greater than the individual parts....I recommend the book because the individual case studies are informative. Reading Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is like being on an interesting, sixteen stop, world study tour. I also recommend the book because Rotberg carefully and thoughtfully pieced together the concluding chapter. Readers who read the book from beginning to end will still be processing the sixteen stories and the wide-ranging content as they begin the final chapter. By identifying the themes that weave throughout the chapters, Rotberg helps the reader make sense of this worldwide intellectual journey....Rotberg does more than identify the themes; she illuminates them by constantly referencing the most essential points made by the individual contributors. What results is a theme, example, example, theme, example, example rhythm that provides readers with a thoughtful, manageable, and memorable conceptual framework that should enable them to draw upon the work in their own professional activities. Twenty-five international academics, researchers, consultants, policymakers, and journalists contribute 16 chapters analyzing educational reforms in 16 countries from around the world…. Some of the countries represented have undergone major changes in their political and economic systems, while others have experienced significant demographic changes. The papers demonstrate the high priority given to education reform in the face of rapidly changing societies and global demands, and highlight how decisions about education reform in the face of rapidly changing societies and global demands, and highlight how decisions about education will ultimately facilitate or impede economic growth, improvements in the quality of life, and social justice. The second edition contains the 16 original country chapters, each followed by an update on developments in the country's educational reforms over the past five years.