Contemporary Issues in Comparative Education

Originally published in 1985. In the last two decades education in the Third World has greatly expanded, raising many important issues. Some less developed countries have emulated the West in the style and organisation of their academic systems, hence, it could be said, increasing their dependence. Others have deliberately avoided this path, experimenting with systems more relevant to development and often in a radical way. At a theoretical level, Marxist and neo-Marxist development theorists argue that education systems dependent on the West are evidence of economic dependency and of the correctness of Marxist development theories; while others argue that the evidence points to an interdependent world and that dependency theories do not apply to education. Interestingly two key Marxist Third World Countries, China and Cuba, have very conservative education systems. This book discusses the problems of dependence and interdependence in education throughout the world.