The Changing Role of Schools in Asian Societies: Schools for the Knowledge Society

Walk into a classroom in Tokyo, New York, London or Rotterdam, and the similarities in structure, activity, purpose and style will outweigh differences in language, dress and ethnic characteristics. Learning is regulated and rationed, teaching is a process or one-way transmission of knowledge, students need to be docile and conformist, assessment needs to sift and sort the bright from the not-so-bright, and rewards will be given to those who successfully negotiate this regime. But are these the kinds of places that can meet the needs of the ‘net generation’?

The Changing Role of Schools in Asian Societies

is concerned with the debate about the nature of modern schooling in Asia. Traditionally schools are historical constructions reflecting the social, economic and political needs of the societies that invest in them. As Asia faces the challenges posed by the ‘knowledge economy’, its schools have taken on a new and quite different importance. This informative book outlines the broad policy contexts in which these transformations are taking place and the practical strategies that are needed to meet this objective.

The authors argue that the future of Asian societies depends on a transformation that requires a fundamental restructuring of schools as we know them while maintaining their long-held cultural values. This valuable insight:

• provides an overview of educational issues in Asian societies
• establishes a broad theoretical framework in which these issues can be understood
• contextualizes issues by providing country case studies
• acknowledges the important role of culture influencing educational priorities.

It should be of interest to all those working in education policy and comparative education.

Kerry Kennedy is Chair Professor of Curriculum Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Education Studies and Associate Vice- President (Quality Assurance) at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He is an Honorary Professor at South China Normal University, a Visiting Professor at the Management and Science University in Malaysia and has been an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at The University of Sydney. He is the General Editor of the Routledge Series on Schools and Schooling in Asia and the Hong Kong Teacher Education Series produced by Hong Kong University Press. His co-edited book with Lee Wing On and David Grossman, Citizenship Pedagogies in Asia and the Pacific (Springer and Comparative Education Research Centre) will appear in 2010. The 4th Edition of his Curriculum Construction (Pearson Education Australia) will also appear in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Australian College of Education and a Life Member of the Australian Curriculum Studies Association.

John Chi-Kin Lee is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Dean of Education and Director of Centre for University and School Partnership at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was Visiting Chair Professor at National Taichung University in Taiwan, Visiting Professor at National Taiwan Normal University, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University and La Trobe University and has been adjunct professor, guest professor and researcher of more than a dozen universities in Mainland China including Beijing Normal University and Nanjing University. His recent books are Schooling for Sustainable Development: Chinese Experience with Younger Children (co-edited with Michael Williams, Springer, 2009), Educational Evaluation in East Asia: Emerging issues and challenges (co-edited with Samuel Peng, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2009) and Improvement of Classroom Teaching and Learning: Teacher development, partnership and professional learning communities. (co-edited with Derek Cheung, Beijing: People’s Education Press, in Chinese, 2009). His forthcoming books are Changing Schools in an Era of Globalization (with Brian Caldwell, Routledge) and New Understandings of Teacher Effectiveness: Emotions and Educational Change (with Chris Day, Springer).