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Urban Education: Views from 3 Continents

A Response

Discussant: Prof. Yin Cheong CHENG

President-elect, World Educational Research AssociationVice-President (RD) & Chair Professor of Leadership & Change,

Hong Kong Institute of Education

WERA Symposium at ECER 2011 Confernce Berlin, 13-16 September 2011

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1. Prof Aslam Fataar• Social spatial analysis on changing school landscape in a post

apartheid city- Cape Town /South Africa• Mobility and subjectivities in schooling

2. Prof Ricardo Cuenca• Trend analysis of demand and supply in public /private ed across

in metropolitan Lima/ South America• Growth of private ed & decline of public ed.: Future of public ed?

3. Prof Belmira Bueno • Historical Perspective on Urban Education in Latin America• Social and Political Factors, Longitudinally Past, Present &

Future Problems & Solutions in Developing Urban Education

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Overall Observations

1. Different Perspectives: from 3 Continents (Latin America, South Africa, South America) with Different Cultural & Political Backgrounds

2. Different Approaches: (a) Historical Analysis, (b) Social-Spatial Analysis, (c)Trend Analysis of Demand and Supply

3. Different Targets: (a) Overall Development of Latin American Countries, (b) Changing School Landscape in A Post Apartheid City- Cape Town, (c) Trends of Private Ed/ Public Education in Lima

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Shared Common Concerns

• Role: What are the key roles of urban education, in particular, public & private education?

• Development: What is happening to the development & management of urban education in a fast changing context?

• Challenges: What are the dilemmas, problems and challenges? How to solve them? For future?

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Reflections in Local & Global Contexts

1. What are key +ve or –ve functions of urban education?

a) Economic development, urbanization, industrialization & modernization,?

b) Social equality, equity, mobility, & consolidation?

c) Political socialization, democratization, & class gaps reduction?

d) Cultural/ human capital building for future developments in globalization, localization, individualization & technology advancement?

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2. What are key features of provision & management of urban education ?

A. Marketization, privatization, central planning? Parental choice?

B. Provision of private and public schools in achieving the diverse functions of urban education?

C.Decentralization, site-based management, quality assurance, accountability, & community participation?

D.Diversification of education provision to multiple expectations?

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3. What challenges in reforming & developing urban education?

1. Inconsistencies between the expected multiple roles of urban education? across social classes?

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Roles of Urban Education:

a) Economic development, urbanization, industrialization & modernization,

b) Social equality, equity, mobility, & consolidation

c) Political socialization, democratization, & class gaps reduction

d) Cultural capital building for future developments

Inconsistencies & Dilemmas?Across social classes?

2. Conflicts & interactions between the management means and the espoused aims of urban education?

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Roles of Urban Education

a) Economic development, urbanization, industrialization & modernization,?

b) Social equality, equity, mobility, & consolidation?

c) Political socialization, democratization, & class gaps reduction?

d) Cultural/ capital building for future developments?

Management Means of Urban Education

A. Marketization , privatization or central planning

B. Provision of private and public schools

C. Decentralization, quality assurance, accountability, & community participation

D. Diversification of education provision

Conflicts?Interactions?

3. Impacts of Globalization (incl. International Competitions) and Local Contexts (incl. social, political, economic factors, reform initiatives, etc. ) Features of Urban Education

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Roles of Urban Education

a) Economic development, urbanization, industrialization & modernization,?

b) Social equality, equity, mobility, & consolidation?

c) Political socialization, democratization, & class gaps reduction?

d) Cultural/ capital building for future developments?

Management Means of Urban Education

A. Marketization , privatization or central planning

B. Provision of private and public schools

C. Decentralization, quality assurance, accountability, & community participation

D. Diversification of education provision

Conflicts?Interactions?