ARIE, Volume 2, No. 1 abstracts

Analytical Reports in International Education

Vol. 2, No. 1 (March 2008)

Abstracts

Research Articles___________________________

Analytical Reports in International Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, March 2008, pp. 7–28
ISSN: 1542-3832, DOI: pending
© 2008 International University Line

A Comparative Analysis of Six Developing Countries and Their Progress Toward Universal Primary Education:

Afghanistan

Nepal

Algeria

Uganda

Peru

, and

Venezuela

as Case Studies

Brad B. Tennant
Presentation College, Aberdeen, SD,

USA

The United Nations Millennium Summit was held in September 2000 and established eight world goals to be achieved by 2015. The second of these goals resolved that all boys and girls throughout the world will be allowed to receive a primary education through the fifth grade. This article examines

Afghanistan

Nepal

Algeria

Uganda

Peru

, and

Venezuela

. Specifically, changes in the countries’ percentage of primary education enrollment and the countries’ rural-urban demographics, the student-teacher ratios, and their expenditures on education as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2000 and 2005 are examined.

Analytical Reports in International Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, March 2008, pp. 29–48
ISSN: 1542-3832, DOI: pending
© 2008 International University Line

Higher Education: Current Status and Future Possibilities in

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

, and

Sri Lanka

C. P. S. Chauhan
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh,

India

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, have common features, such as geographic and climatic conditions, and share issues concerning the socioeconomic, cultural, and educational advancement of their people. Higher education affects every area of national development and deserves requisite attention. This paper assesses higher education systems of SAARC countries in terms of structure, access, quality, equity, resources, and contribution of private enterprise. Such an assessment might help in promoting interstate cooperation and planning better strategies.

All SAARC countries have a similar higher education structure, including entry qualifications and age, duration of courses, and instructional management system. The pressing demand for higher education and a strong desire for foreign qualification by youth are common issues. Opportunities are limited, with gross enrollment ratios varying among SAARC countries from less than 5 percent to 10 percent. The participation of women is not more than 40 percent in any SAARC country, and the quality of education is substandard. Spending on education ranges from 2 percent to 4 percent of the gross national product (GNP), which is less than UNESCO standards for developing nations. Private enterprise, a recent phenomenon, limits its role market-oriented, professional, and technical education. It is high time for SAARC countries to evolve common educational forums and collaborative strategies to deal with the situation.

Analytical Reports in International Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, March 2008, pp. 49–75
ISSN: 1542-3832, DOI: pending
© 2008 International University Line

Does Globalization Lead to Convergence in Higher Education?
An Empirical Study of Four East Asian University Systems, 1946–1996:
Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand

Lucinda Li
Graduate Program, School of Education, University of Auckland,

New Zealand

It has been widely assumed that globalization inevitably leads to convergence, which is generally defined as a tendency of societies to grow more alike. This paper investigates the claim of convergence by examining changes in four aspects of university policies in four East Asian polities, namely, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, over a period of 50 years. The four policies being examined in this study are student enrollment, female participation, medium of instruction, and university regulation.

Findings show that while universities, being part of the international academic community, are susceptible to the influence of global forces and tend to become more and more alike in structures, processes, and systems, they are also under the dominance of their governments and local forces whose influences set them apart from their counterparts in other parts of the world in various ways. It is found that convergence and divergence can both exist at different aspects of the same policy or practice and that convergence occurs in some countries but not others. Its presence depends on which aspect of a policy or practice is examined and when and where. The actual outcome is determined by the dynamic interaction of global, regional, national, and local forces.

Analytical Reports in International Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, March 2008, pp. 77–88
ISSN: 1542-3832, DOI: pending
© 2008 International University Line

Exploring the Rebuilding of the Education System in a Transitional Nation: The Case of Timor-Leste

Jaya Earnest,¹ Margie Beck,² and Trina Supit³
¹ Curtin University of Technology, Perth,

Australia

² Instituto Católico para Formação de Professores, Baucau, Timor-Leste
³ Indigo Foundation,

Australia

Today's education system in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor was shaped by three periods in the country's history. It was almost destroyed by the three-week crisis period in September 1999, which left more than 80 percent of Timor-Leste’s educational infrastructure destroyed. The Timor-Leste education sector continues to face significant challenges owing to this difficult history.

This paper provides an overview of the history and reconstruction of the education sector. It explores its reconstruction in a complex transitional society that is a fledging state and struggling with multiple social, political, economic, and educational constraints. The paper provides a historical context and background to the transitional nation, details the periods of colonial education, and describes the reconstruction process and the challenges currently faced by the Ministry of Education. The paper concludes with a description of the current status of education in the country.

Analytical Reports in International Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, March 2008, pp. 89–106
ISSN: 1542-3832, DOI: pending
© 2008 International University Line

Education in the Maghreb: From the Construction to the Consolidation of Educational Systems

Abdeljalil Akkari

Department of Education, Geneva University,

Switzerland

This article includes three interdependent parts. In the first part, schooling in the Maghreb will be examined from a descriptive point of view. Portraits of the Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan educational systems will be presented with special focus on the achievements made during the last 40 to 50 years. The second part will compare the educational situation of the Maghreb with that of developing countries having a similar level of economic development. The third part will summarize the changes that the North African educational systems must undertake to address the multiple and complex challenges imposed by mass schooling. This paper points out three main findings: North African countries have built strong formal educational systems in a relatively short period in spite of a weak French colonial legacy; the region's educational development is similar to international trends; gender inequalities and youth unemployment are still a big concern in the region.