The chapters in this volume do not represent the whole of the Middle East and North Africa, as such a collection would have been too large for one volume. Rather, the selection here is intended to present different perspectives on a range of educational issues, relevant to a particular focus or country, or common to a number of countries in the area. There is no overarching theme beyond that which is common to most of the countries in this area; such as modernity versus tradition; the spread of education effecting sociological changes--most pronounced in the rural and tribal areas; the changing fortunes and roles of women; the aspiration and expectation of youth; and the state having become the major player in providing education. These are all shared by most of the countries represented here. Contents include: (1) Introduction (Colin Brock & Lila Zia Levers); (2) The Qur'an and Women's Education: patriarchal interpretations of Sura 4:34 and their unreading by educated Muslim women (Barbara Freyer Stowasser); (3) The Impact of Educational Empowerment on Women in the Arab World (Serra Kirdar); (4) Women, Higher Education and Social Transformation in the Arab Gulf (Sally Findlow); (5) Besieging the King's Tower? En/Gendering Academic Opportunities in the Gulf Arab States (Andre Elias Mazawi); (6) Religious Education of Muslim and Non-Muslim Schoolchildren in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Golnar Mehran); (7) Aspects of Bilingualism in Iranian Kurdish Schoolchildren (Iran Mohammadi-Heuboeck); (8) Israel's Education System: equality of opportunity--from nation building to neoliberalism (Yossi Dahan & Yossi Yonah); (9) The Moment of Education: the politics of education among the Negev Bedouin, Israel (Richard Ratcliffe); (10) The Struggle for Palestinian National Education Past and Present (Bilal Fouad Barakat); (11) Formal Schooling in Morocco: the hopes and challenges of the current educational reform (Abdelkader Ezzaki); and (12) Computerising Turkey's Schools (Ayse Kok). Background information on contributing authors is also provided.