Asia-Pacific Education : Diversity, Challenges and Changes

Education in Asia Pacific countries is being transformed by globalisation and the market economy. Most economies within the region have flourished due to increased regional capital flow, trade and other forms of economic and political interaction. The Asia Pacific also has rich and unique traditions, which create cultural diversity as well as common challenges, including obstacles of language and geographical separation. While these countries are well documented in Western scholarship, there is a growing reaction to the predominance of Western social theories. This response is fuelling recognition of and movement towards theories that reference the wide range of contextual and cultural perspectives available in the East. The contributors to this volume are currently researching contemporary education in Asia Pacific countries. They offer Eastern-oriented perspectives on teacher education, parent participation, government withdrawal, textbook content, uses of modern technology, the challenges of the migrating families and tertiary students who travel from overseas for study. These commentaries highlight the issues of equity, identity and social justice and also open up dialogue between social theories that reference East as well as West.