Exploring Education and Democratization in South Asia

Reviews / Votes

"Taking up issues such as education policy reform, curricular reforms, decentralization, student politics (higher education), the role of social media, the impact of private tutoring, and using conceptual frameworks from a number of disciplines, the authors grapple with the complexities involved with delivering quality education to all children while dealing with issues of individual and collective human agency and interests. It makes for compelling reading. Chapters grapple with the attempt to privatize education and use markets and market-based incentives wherever possible while keeping a strong conservative nationalistic ideology in the political and curricular spheres and the consequences, for education delivery as well as the education that is being given, that come from this. This is definitely a significant issue across contemporary South Asia and its impacts will be deep and will last for quite some time. The book makes original and pioneering contributions in the study of someof the impacts that are already being seen. This is an excellent addition to Education literature in South Asia. The issues authors raise will have relevance for many other countries too other than their importance for understanding education issues in South Asia. Students and scholars of politics and/or education could gain a lot by engaging with the book." -Faisal Bari, Former Dean and Associate Professor, Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan

"This volume makes a distinct contribution to our understanding of education in South Asia by focusing on new and emerging phenomenon in education ranging from shadow education to decentralisation and federalism, regulation, markets and privatization, student activism, and populism. It expands our understanding of democratisation by examining institutions, actors and policy texts in various chapters and uses underexplored methods tooffer newer insights." - Manish Jain, Associate Professor, School of Education Studies, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi.