Whose context for what quality? Informing education strategies for the Caribbean

An enduring tenet of the comparative education tradition is the significance of cultural context, of the distinctive features that characterise a society or social group. The close link that has been established between culture and development has prompted Caribbean leaders to place more emphasis on an appreciation of the region's cultural assets, and to find ways of translating these into economic wealth in the international market place. This is particularly challenging in an increasingly globalised environment where knowledge is considered the primary resource. While the Caribbean's capacity for facing the dilemmas of difference is thought to give it some comparative advantage, one of the key challenges for its educational policy‐makers is how to provide a quality education that is sensitive to the ‘local’ context while remaining responsive to the demands of the ‘global’ market. To meet these challenges, the Caribbean is revisiting traditional concepts of ‘knowledge’ and initiating comprehensive reforms aimed at refashioning its education systems to prepare an internationally competitive labour force and to promote the region as a global partner in international policy‐making.