Equity, Opportunity and Education in Postcolonial Southeast Asia

Cynthia Joseph and Julie Matthews have assembled an accessible and informative set of chapters on post-colonial education in Southeast Asia. There is a liveliness and theoretical sharpness about the book which lifts it above other collections of country chapters, and it is great to see the region receiving the attention it deserves. Education in Southeast Asian countries is very dynamic, shaped as it is between multiple influences: modernising states, indigenous traditions, colonial legacies (expertly dissected here), the global economy, rising China, aid and business from Korea and Japan, emerging India. Cultural issues have been brought to the front of the analysis here, allowing the commonalities and differences across Southeast Asia to be effectively explored. The editors provide an authoritative summary and there are succinct, engaging reflections on each of the principalsystems.- Simon Marginson, Professor of International Higher Education, Institute of Education in London, and Joint Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education

"The political and economic reintegration of Southeast Asia led by ASEAN and other regional organization is spurring some interesting scholarly work looking into historical and contemporary transnational linkages across the region. This book, which charts the educational history of the region over centuries, is an excellent addition to that growing body of work. The two opening chapters by the editors provide very interesting historical overviews of the varied forms of traditional educational systems, colonialism and postcolonialism across the region. These provide the context for the chapters that follow, which each tackle a particular issue in one country. ... a very good introduction to the volume, especially for readers new to the educational history of the region." - Christopher Ziguras, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia