研究紹介: Education Export and Import: New Activities on the Educational Agora

Kampei HAYASHI (2019) Education Export and Import: New Activities on the Educational Agora in Mølstad C. E. & Pettersson D. (Eds.) New Practices of Comparison, Quantification and Expertise in Education; Conducting Empirically Based Research, 1st Edition, Routledge, pp. 175-188.

    Dr. Yeap Ban Har, the world famous expert on Singapore Math started his workshop at a Swedish school by the phrase “there’s no such a Singapore Math”.

That was really a catchy introduction and he swept the reluctant teachers feet off brilliantly. He told that no child was born as excellent or as poor, but society, culture or system grow the children in the way. He continued to explain the characteristic of the Singaporean success in TIMSS mathematics that they have strengthen on competent pupils in advanced levels, and that is accomplished by a combination of Asian style math lesson and practice of Lesson Study. Figures from the international assessments and researchers’ work were often referred to support his argument, and at the end he showed the evidence-proven model lesson in front of all teachers. Ms. Britta Wikman, the school principal who invited Dr. Yeap, then presented the school’s ambition toward globalization; teachers as researchers keep continuous inquiry and exchange teaching expertise all over the world. The scene itself was literary international in a way – me as a Japanese researcher listening Singapore Math at Swedish school. The Swedish teachers at school use translated version of Singapore Math textbooks in their classroom.

    Education has become a field of business, not only at the domestic market, but also at the international trade arena. In addition to the ‘traditional’ edu-business sectors such as textbook publishers, school chain providers and education consultancies, giant IT companies joined the field through the investment of philanthropy organizations (Au & Ferrare, 2014), and even government is entering this market as one of the actor (Hayashi, 2016). Marketization used to be regarded as a movement of right wing’s neo-liberalistic idea to some extent, however, the teachers’ union, which is generally regarded as left wing body and against neo-liberalism (eg. Verger, Fontdevila & Zancajo 2016), is one of the major provider of profit making education services in Singapore. Anyone can do edu-business, and edu-business easily cross over the border. International organizations such as OECD and World Bank are assisting the expansion of the market by providing statistics and loan scheme.

    The focus of this chapter is on “Education Export”, phenomena in which governments promote edu-businesses to go abroad. Several countries have set national strategies to sell their education goods and services to other countries. In the following, the perspectives of exporter countries, such as Finland, Japan and Singapore, as well as importer countries’ perspective from Ghana and Liberia are illustrated. 

書誌情報 (amazon.co.jp)

書名: New Practices of Comparison, Quantification and Expertise in Education

　出版日: 平成31(2019)年3月29日
　出版社: Routledge
　編者: Christina Elde Mølstad, Daniel Pettersson