Acknowledgements Preface 1. Why is it Important? The Story So Far 2. The Nature of the Interdisciplinary Field and its Development 3. A Global Overview: Legacies and Inertias 4. Scale, Space and Place with Reference to the USA and the World of Small States 5. National and International Educational Development 6. Europe: Issues and Comparisons 7. Sub-Saharan Africa: Legacies and Innovations 8. Rising Stars: Brazil, Russia, India and the People's Republic of China (The BRIC States) References Index

Education Around the World is designed to provide a global picture of education at the time of its authorship and publication enabling national, regional and global trends to become apparent and be compared. All countries in the world will be represented, thus capturing both global trends and idiosyncratic features at the same time. Each volume includes a substantial editorial introductory chapter, followed by individual country chapters written by indigenous authors who are recognised experts in their field, allowing for special local factors to emerge and to be explained with authority and cultural understanding. This encyclopaedic resource is the first to provide global coverage combining up to date portraits and analysis of distinctive features and guidance on wider resources including connections to online dynamic data sources.