The west,the rest and the knowledge economy: a game worth playing?

The unprecedented geopolitical and economic shifts across the world have triggered much debate over the re-thinking of internationalisation of higher education (IoHE). This article discusses how a deeper understanding of the knowledge economy paradigm contributes to re-thinking IoHE, and how it reshapes the relations between the west and the rest in the international education industry. In the global knowledge race, the rules are set by the knowledge economy agenda, but these rules could be changed through appropriate IoHE strategies. The knowledge economy promotes a predominantly western-oriented knowledge paradigm, and IoHE contributes to its dissemination. For this reason, it is important to consider how the western theoretical underpinnings of IoHE and the knowledge economy are transformed and integrated in a given local context and if this game is worth playing.     

Senior high students’ career plans for the future: outcomes of the comprehensive career needs survey in Southern Alberta, Canada

The Comprehensive Career Needs Survey was used to assess the career plans of senior high students in Southern Alberta, Canada. This article examines senior high student perceptions regarding (a) their future plans; (b) confidence in attaining their career goals, (c) importance of remaining in their community; and (d) where they anticipate working. The majority of respondents planned to combine full time education with part time work, were confident in achieving their career plans, and anticipated finding work in their country. Results indicate a need for programs addressing career decision making and combining education and work experience.     

National Standards in Teacher Education—why don't we have any?

Both nationally and internationally, teacher education is coming under scrutiny from governments and bureaucrats. There is a popular view that once again educators have got it wrong and strong action is now needed to provide the kind of teacher education that can support the objectives of governments in areas such as industry restructuring and improving international economic competitiveness. In Australia, strong pressures are being exerted on the political, industrial and labour market fronts to reform teacher education. This paper reviews efforts that have been made to date and advocates the regulation of the profession by the profession as the only means by which teaching can be given the kind of status that will be necessary to protect it from outside interference.     

Reinforcing hegemonic masculinities through sexual harassment: issues of identity,power and popularity in secondary schools

This paper, based on the perspectives of young men, explores the relationship between dominant constructions of masculinities and the sexual harassment of young women in Australian secondary schools, within a feminist poststructuralist theoretical framework. Of particular importance in this process are the ways in which sexual harassment is integral to the construction of hegemonic heterosexual masculine identities; the importance of popularity, acceptance and young men's fears within male peer group cultures; and the utilization of sexual harassment as a means through which to maintain and regulate hierarchical power relationships, not just in relation to gender, but how it intersects with other sites of power such as ‘race’ and class. It is highlighted that sexual harassment is considered a legitimate and expected means through which to express and reconfirm the public and private positions of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ within a heterosexualized, racialized and classed gender order.     

Directions for the future of schooling in Hong Kong: Vision and reality in a post-colonial society

The study reported here used the OECD scenarios on the future of schooling to probe the views of a sample of educators identified as having the potential to influence education policy formation in Hong Kong. The results indicated that among this sample, there were multiple perspectives on the future of schooling and these were related to the very public education reform agenda that was currently being implemented in Hong Kong schools. The future of schooling was seen to be dependent on the role of the political process in articulating a clear vision, school leadership and teacher capacity. Lack of any one of these was seen as an impediment to achieving change in Hong Kong schools.     

Caught between cultures: case study of an “out of school” ethnic minority student in Hong Kong

This paper reports a case study on Maneesha Rai, a Nepalese girl living in Hong Kong and an “out of school” student. Based on in-depth interviews, a case was constructed of her previous school days and current “out of school” days. These provided a vivid picture of her life and several themes were created using schema analysis that help explain the reasons for her “dropping out” of school after Form Five. It has been common to attribute school failure for ethnic minority students in Hong Kong to problems with Chinese language education. Yet Maneesha’s case study shows that her experience of failure in other subjects such as Mathematics and Science contributed to her lack of successful schooling. Maneesha’s school failure was more than simply a consequence of academic failure. Rather, there were many other interrelated factors such as peer and community factors, dropout history in the family, racism, differences in schooling culture found that contributed to her school failure. In addition, Maneesha, like many of her ethnic minority friends, enjoyed the freedom afforded her in Hong Kong, but it seemed such freedom also meant inadequate attention from her teachers.