Mok, Ka-ho, and Welch, Anthony. (2003). Globalization and Educational Restructuring in the Asia Pacific Region. Reviewed by Mary Ratchford Douglass, University of Missouri, Columbia

	Mok, Ka-ho, and Welch, Anthony. (2003). Globalization and Educational Restructuring in the Asia Pacific Region. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. xiii + 350 $69.95     ISBN 0-333-77073-0 Reviewed by Mary Ratchford Douglass University of Missouri, Columbia October 22, 2004 Editors Mok and Welch have compiled critical analysis summaries from eight Asia Pacific region countries and Hong Kong, to illustrate the macro and micro changes globalization has imputed on their educational and political policies. Each chapter is a case study chosen to illustrate how socio-economic and socio-structural changes have changed or influenced the education sectors (Mok & Welch, 2003). Collectively, the case studies from Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand create a diverse and dynamic picture of the Asia Pacific region’s politics and cultures. The introductory Chapter 1 provides a short brief or reference of each case study to highlight the focus of each author, enabling the reader to select topics of personal interest first. Jason Tan opens Chapter 2 with an upbeat, positive statement reflecting exciting challenges and dilemmas facing Singapore in the beginning of the twenty-first century. Tan notes how education policy has been used for fostering economic development and social cohesion since 1959, and is today being swept into the surge of new policy directives. Tan synthesizes Singapore’s new policy directives into questions about developing creativity and innovations to support national economic success and competitiveness in the global economy. Three major curricular initiatives have been pursued to promote creativity and innovation in the Singapore schools. Goh Chok Tong introduced the first initiative, the Thinking Schools, Learning Nation initiative in June 1997. Secondly, The Masterplan for Information Technology in Education initiative of 1997, attempts to incorporate information technology in teaching and learning. The third initiative focuses on University admission criteria. All initiatives have problems and controversy. Especially problematic is the issue of ethnic and class based disparities in educational attainment. Officially, Singapore is a meritocratic society. Advancement is theoretically independent of one’s background, dependent on the individual ability and effort. The policies developed and promoted in the 1980’s and 1990’s, reflect a trend toward distinct social stratification. The effect of globalization, as argued by Tan, hugely favors highly skilled workers over unskilled labor, creating an ever widening gap between the haves and the have-nots of Singapore. Chapter 3, Globalization’s Challenges to Higher Education Governance in South Korea, is co-authored by Ka-ho Mok, Kiok Yoon and Anthony Welch. Focus is on how the South Korean higher education systems have been reformed as a result of globalization; marketization and decentralization. Overall, the Korean government has moved from centralized university governance to an autonomous, open, lifelong educational system founded on individual capability and qualitative improvement. The authors note four areas of particular importance in the changing governance. First, the government has decided to increase the public funds to finance higher education. The major objectives are to create world-class research institutions that can compete globally with professional graduate schools that compete based on the quality of research and student performance. Second, financing for higher education is becoming competitive between schools, based on performance and evaluation results. Third, deregulation of tertiary education, allowing individual institutions to develop their own plans for academic and financial development. Fourth, the Korean Government is focused on creating universities that can compete internationally by supporting research funding. The closing discussion engages the reader in a reflection of how globalization is the common mitigating factor for the development and implementation of the policies and politics of higher education in South Korea. Taiwan’s experience in developing a new democracy amid the forces of globalization, localization and education reform is illustrated in chapter 4 by Wing-wah Law. Law establishes a basis for the reader by establishing a framework of what globalization, localization and democratization are by debate if not by actual definition. A brief and concise review of recent history provides the highlights of the transformation of Taiwan from a police state to a democracy, supported by hard data on the changes in GNP from 1952 to 1998. The complexity of the Taiwan educational system is illustrated graphically and textually. Detailed information on the finance of the system, teacher to student number ratios, gender based differences and the changes in testing and placement are all discussed in a complete and challenging manner. Complete litanies are presented for priority areas for reform, the ecology of education administration, teacher’s rights, selection of administrators, and the building of a learning society. The Taiwanization of education amid the democratization process has provided space for the local cultures and identities. Mandarin remains the only ethnic language given statutory status by the government of Taiwan. Schools do recognize other languages as part of their preparation for economic globalization via transnational competences in language. Accountability mechanisms, lifelong education and information technology are other areas of equal importance to prepare for global interaction. Law points out the processes of democratization and globalization are ongoing. He stresses the importance of developing a pro-active approach for scholars and researchers to attain international standards and recognition. The temper of Law’s discussion gives this reader the impression he believes the best is yet to come for Taiwan. Chapter 5 gives us a peek at the issues of quality education and the development of a learning society in Hong Kong. Authors Ka-ho Mok and Paul Wilding open their discussion stating “education is regarded as the key to the future development of Hong Kong”. The quest for quality education is discussed in conjunction with the return of Hong Kong to China and the potential setbacks of re-assimilation into the traditional Chinese culture. There is a distinct air of uncertainty around Hong Kong educational policy. The conflict between the capitalist genre of British Hong Kong and the ruling Chinese is cumbersome and presents a very difficult situation between both parties. The current decentralization policy in the education sector has not lessened government intervention. A management oriented approach has actually increased some government controls while enabling the government to appear outside the issues. Mok and Wilding leave the reader with a clear picture of the potential human costs via dehumanization and demoralization of the teaching profession. The authors are pointedly cautious about the education reform and future quality of education in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Chapter 6 illustrates the restructuring of education in China due to the influences of globalization. Authors King-lun Ngok and Julia Kwong provide a brief yet informative discussion of the political changes in China that have allowed the growth and restructuring of the Chinese economy and educational system. The role of law in educational administration has become an important form of educational governance. Education has always served the economy and continues to do so today. The control of the educational system has been decentralized to the provincial and county levels along with the responsibility of funding forty percent of the costs. Grants and loans have become increasingly important to institutions and new fee paying students. China has in fact moved into the realm of Academic Capitalism. Globalization has provided China with the use of information and technologies that provide long distance learning. Today, more rural areas are gaining access to educational opportunities they have never had before, even though the opportunities are not equal to everyone and have in fact created disparities to some and not others. China recognizes the value of an educated human resource population and is striving to capitalize on their population. The authors are honest about the realities in China today, yet are optimistic at the possibilities globalization is bringing to the people. Chapter 7 is a complete discussion of the impact of globalization on the Philippines’ and their education system. Authors Swee-hin Toh and Virginia Floresca-Cawagas open their chapter with a very brief recent history of the political powers that have ruled over the last 350 years. Add another 50 years of post colonial development just to make things interesting. The authors give a loving description of the country and her people and continue on to describe an island nation suffering from continuing social injustices, armed revolutionary struggles and the marginalization of the men, women and children. Though the picture as described may viewed as a paradox, the authors both recognize the value of the people and the potential of their nation. Specifically, education is the means to facilitate economic growth and individual social mobility. This productivist view of education is one of the two current strands of policies world wide. Modern schooling has resulted in a comparatively high literacy rate compared to other Asia Pacific third world countries. The girls and women of the Philippines have more access and are better educated than in other countries as well. Unfortunately, with the economic decline, there has bee a decline in the quality and quantity of education overall. The areas of financing education, academic content of curriculum and standards of quality in admissions are all in need of expansive reform and support. Mal-distribution of access and funds resources has been an ongoing issue for decades. Alternatives are presented for accommodations to ease the issues in education. One focus is on innovation in job selection that relies less on academic credentials but more on skill and competencies. The authors present a very complicated situation in a readable and comprehensible format, offering well thought out solutions and outcomes. Chapter 8, written by David Ayers, focuses on the structural adjustments in Cambodia in relation to the educational system. Ayers begins the chapter with a brief history of the regional upheaval in the mid 1970’s and discusses how history interprets Cambodia’s development. The ravages of war, destabilization and reconstruction of the economy, social structure and political structure is put into the appropriate focus for the reader to comprehend the influences and the magnitude of the repercussions. Amazingly, the Cambodian people have adapted and responded with ongoing drive and commitment to develop their country and educational system. A recurring theme among the Asia-Pacific rim countries is the importance of cost-efficiency in education. The institutional development, policy framework, and the quality of education all must be developed in an atmosphere of restricted funds availability. Donors are frustrated with the government’s failure to follow through on economic commitments, stretching the limited funds even thinner. The absence of the transparency, accountability and economic policies demanded by globalization has widened the chasm between the rich and poor. There is a realization there is a need for more resources to be spent on education. The complexities that exist in the Cambodian society, political structure and global picture are intertwined in a never ending struggle for growth and control. The Cambodian people have a wealth of history and culture to draw from to create the environment and structure to ensure their people’s success. Chapter 9 is a discussion and comparison of the politics and contemporary educational reforms in Australia. Author Anthony Welch gives the reader a great deal of information to consider and digest. There is discussion to weigh both concepts of politics driving educational reform and the demand for educational reform driving politics. Welch contrasts the concepts of quality and equality, a polarizing articulation of policy fundamentals in education. The widening social schism in Australian society is hauntingly familiar. As globalization demands more assimilation to be part of the modern world, the realm of education is also being shaped by demand. Welch does an excellent job of forming the chapter around the intertwined nature of domestic and international frameworks. The impact of the communications technology explosion is recognized and emphasized. The changing face of the financial markets, deregulation, and the reduction in tariffs are all presented as major factors in the progressive withdrawal of the social services previously insuring the Australian population. International competition is now the primary driving force in the Australian economy. The concept of doing more with less has infiltrated all industries including education. The effect has been to widen the gaps between rich and poor, dividing rural and urban and separating further the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Essentially, Australia has seen their middle class evaporating with a growing wealthy segment and a burgeoning economically disadvantaged sector. Effectively, higher education quality for some is the result of taking quality education away from the lowest income groups. Higher education is primarily publicly funded in Australia. Reductions in funding have created higher student to teacher ratios amid crumbling infrastructure. The results have been high atrician rates among faculty either retiring early or moving overseas to better opportunities. In Chapter 10, author Michael Peters discusses the changing face of education in New Zealand in correlation to the changing context of their governance, from universal welfare entitlements to private investments. New Zealand has been chosen by the World Bank, OECD and IMF as the successful example of reform to an open economy. Education has become part of the market economy, increasingly consumer driven with access to education becoming increasingly unequal. Peters gives a readable and comprehensible account of the changes in New Zealand’s governance, political parties and effects of privatization programs. Specifically school reform is discussed in detail. Moving from state provided and supported education to consumer choice in education encouraged user pay systems incorporating private and public schools. The control and coordination of education was transferred from the state to elected boards, associations, and councils. Education is now seen as a private good, subject to market conditions for the first time in New Zealand history. The treaty of Waitangi is relied upon to ensure the requisite cultural sensitivity and support. Together with community and public representation, there is a genuine structure of participatory democracy. Shein describes the key to long-range growth and survival is to keep the needs of these constituencies in some kind of balance…(1992). Peters continues on with describing the situation in New Zealand and how various sectors of society are affected. The divisions in socio-economic status are clear indicators of where your children are likely to go to school and how they will succeed there. Even with the choices available, ability to pay divides choices for parents and not by the parents themselves. Higher education in New Zealand is discussed along the same lines parents are talking about education here at the University of Missouri. Higher user charges, student loans at all time highs and the academic capitalization of the higher education institutions as a whole. Students are in school longer to enable them to work more to reduce their need for loans as they work on their academic degrees. Students are graduating with large debt, more than their parents borrowed for their first homes. These future tax payers are entering the world of work debt ridden and will not be creating wealth, they are paying off their education. In years to come, the country as a whole will feel this lack of accumulated wealth as people can not afford to buy newer or better homes, they will have to put off new large expenditures and will not be able to send their children on to higher education without loans, again. Do we really want to start this cycle? New Zealand has experienced vast changes and upheavals in recent history. While moving into the modern, global markets, they have seen increased poverty and social inequities. Fortunately, the Kiwi’s do understand the means for easing from dependency on welfare to self responsibility is being educated. The New Zealanders as a whole are very educated people who are quite capable of meeting the new challenges head on to keep their country progressive, culturally sensitive and educated. Chapter 11 is the conclusion by the editors, Anthony Welch and Ka-ho Mok. They point out similarities and differences between countries, their motivations, actions and solutions. Their observations and insights are valuable to the reader. However, I noted a lack of overall background about the Vietnam War era. A young reader might not grasp the meaning or significance of the actions taken in Cambodia and surrounding areas. Overall I find this book very useful in the comparisons of how globalization is affecting education around the world. Many aspects are the same worldwide, while each country has individual and unique challenges to face and overcome. The global trends are supported with facts and come together to illustrate the state of the world in terms of education philosophy and application. These trends translate into global citizenship. It costs to belong. To refuse to pay or to pull out will effectively deny nation states and their members citizenship status within the global world order. Linda Tuhiwai Smith (1999) The organization of the work is structured to be particularly useful as a comparative text in higher education policy classes. I recommend this to anyone working in international programs or projects. References Schein, E.H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Smith, L.T. (1999). Decolonizingmethodologies: Research and indigenous peoples. London: Zed Books Ltd. About the Reviewer Mary Ratchford Douglass is a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Multi-cultural studies and international project development are a particular area of interest, specifically the Asia Pacific rim nations. Experience working with the New Zealand Ministry of Education, Special Education Services, has focused her work toward indigenous and multi-cultural educational policy issues.