A growing literature, much of it with cross-national comparisons, employs geographic lenses to secure insights into educational studies. Most of this literature focuses on schooling, though parts address kindergartens and higher education. The present paper, by contrast, employs geographic lenses to focus on the shadow education system of private…

Private supplementary tutoring, widely known as shadow education, has become a global phenomenon. It has a range of providers, including commercial companies, university students desiring extra pocket money, and regular school teachers who provide tutoring as a sideline activity. This paper focuses on the last category. Governments are commonly…

Recent years have brought a major shift in the field of international comparative education with the rise of quantitative assessments of student achievement. Within these studies, outside-school-time (OST) as a supplement and complement to schooling has been included. However, OST is difficult to define and measure; and challenges multiply when…

The institutional framework of the field of comparative education has developed significantly in recent decades. One manifestation of development has been the establishment and activities of professional societies. This paper focuses on 12 societies that operate in Asia and the Pacific. Some of these societies have long histories while others are…

This report was produced for the 2012 Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers meeting in Mauritius. Its main purpose is to track the historical progress and likelihood of attainment of Education For All and education-specific Millennium Development Goals while also critically reviewing the methods used to track this progress. The analyses…

The fields of comparative and international education have overlapping identities and are commonly paired. The overlap and pairing has been evident in the history of "Compare" as well as elsewhere. However, the indistinct nature of the boundaries can cause conceptual difficulties. Taking a historical perspective not only on "Compare" and its…

The World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) has been strongly concerned with intercultural dialogue since the Council was created in 1970. Indeed advancement of education "for international understanding in the interests of peace, intercultural cooperation, mutual respect among peoples and observance of human rights" is one of the…

The Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) has, throughout its 50 years of existence, exercised leadership in the field of comparative education. It was one of the five societies that founded the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) in 1970, an umbrella body that by 2006 brought together 35 national,…

The Hong Kong system of student loans for higher education has worked efficiently since 1969. Many factors in its success are location-specific, but other governments may both learn from and contribute to the Hong Kong experience. (MSE)

Reviews trends, issues, and problems of administrative decentralization and education in developing nations, with reference to Papua New Guinea. Concludes that decentralization should not be seen as a panacea; policy-makers must sharpen understanding of types and levels of decentralization; success requires attention to training and implementation…

Identifies major differences and similarities between educational change during Hong Kong's political transition and during postcolonial transitions elsewhere. Notes that parallel operation of multiple education systems in one country is quite common, and that Hong Kong educational reforms began well ahead of political transition. Examines…

Reviews the literature on the multiple-shift school day in various countries. Notes the paucity of research available. Examines financial savings, academic achievement, instructional time, extracurricular activities, and discipline problems. Concludes that multiple shifts can lower costs without greatly reducing educational quality. Contains 27…

Examines educational policies and issues in small nations and territories with high degrees of administrative autonomy. Maintains that strong feelings of nationalism can be both a benefit and a barrier to establishing an effective educational system. Argues that small countries are not simply scaled-down versions of larger nations; they have an…

This paper examines the use of student loans, a capitalist form of educational financing, in a socialist country, the People's Republic of China. Details of the program, including eligibility, loan amounts, interest charges, administration, and repayment terms, are summarized. The paper suggests that major problems may be encountered in securing…

The evolution of comparative education in Greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau) has been influenced by size, culture, political ideologies, standard of living, and colonialism. Similarities and differences in conceptions of comparative education are identified among the four components and between Greater China and other…