Education Development Trust

ABSTRACT This article examines the teaching of comparative and international education (CIE) in undergraduate and master’s programmes in 30 UK universities via bibliometric and content analysis of the handbooks of 55 CIE courses. Our analysis demonstrates great diversity in what is categorised as CIE, alongside some clear patterns and preoccupations evident across units, as reflected in the selection of materials, and geographical and thematic coverage. Findings suggest a ‘UK-centric’ orientation to CIE, marked by an emphasis on UK academic voices and references, and geographical foci which centre on the former colonial sphere of influence. Alongside this we identify three broad orientations to CIE teaching in the UK – ‘positivist’, ‘socio-cultural’, and ‘critical’ – and consider their nature and prevalence across different institutions and programmes.

Comparative and international education (CIE) offers undergraduate students a perspective on education systems and contexts beyond their own direct experience. In this chapter, we introduce CIE as a field, and share an overview of what is currently taught within CIE units and modules at undergraduate level in the UK. To do so, we draw on a review of CIE units at 24 UK universities – perhaps even including your own institution, and units that you may have taken or consider taking in the future. Our findings demonstrate some key current debates within the field and push readers to think more deeply about the values, priorities and assumptions that we may take for granted in studying others’ approaches to education.

It is estimated that more than 200 million children live in fragile or conflict-affected areas. Their education is often disrupted and may be halted. Their opportunities to learn are made more difficult by economic hardship combined with disruption, distress, loss, trauma, or fear. Summarizing evidence on education for these children, the chapter focuses on three key age groups—early childhood, children at primary level, and adolescents—and outlines issues common to all. It also identifies what is not known and some research priorities. We conclude that there is a growing but insufficient body of relevant knowledge, and that in addition to learning the relevant fundamentals, both culture and crisis affect how children learn and what they need to know and be able to do in order to survive and thrive under such circumstances.

BackgroundWeight at age 5 is a predictor for future health of the individual. This study examines risk factors for childhood obesity with a focus on ethnicity.MethodsData from the Millennium Cohort study were used. 17,561 singleton children of White/European (n = 15,062), Asian (n = 1,845) or African (n = 654) background were selected. Logistic regression and likelihood ratio tests were used to examine factors associated with obesity at age 5. All participants were interviewed in their own homes. The main exposures examined included; Birth weight, sedentary lifestyle, family health behaviours, ethnicity, education and income.ResultsChildren with a sedentary lifestyle, large at birth, with high risk family health behaviours (overweight mothers, smoking near the child, missing breakfast) and from a family with low income or low educational attainment, were more likely to be obese regardless of ethnicity. Feeding solid food before 3 months was associated with obesity in higher income White/European families. Even when controlling for socioeconomic status, ethnic background is an important independent risk factor for childhood obesity [Odds ratio of obesity; was 1.7 (95%CI: 1.2-2.3) for Asian and 2.7 (95%CI: 1.9-3.9) for African children, compared to White/European]. The final adjusted model suggests that increasing income does not have a great impact on lowering obesity levels, but that higher academic qualifications are associated with lower obesity levels [Odds of obesity: 0.63 (95%CI: 0.52-0.77) if primary carer leaves school after age 16 compared at age 16].ConclusionsEducation of the primary carer is an important modifiable factor which can be targeted to address rising obesity levels in children. Interventions should be family centred supporting and showing people how they can implement lifestyle changes in their family.

In an average school at least one parent in nine will be disabled. Tony McAleavy explains how schools can ensure that these parents are not marginalised from their child's school life

1. Introduction Reading Africa began as a project support the publicising of the list of Africa's 100 Best Books with an event held at the British Council on the 30th January 2003, generally regarded as having been very successful, which had the main aim of contributing to raising awareness of, and interest in, African writing and publishing and encourage reading of African books in the and which was supported by four specific objectives: 1. To publicise the list of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century 2. To raise awareness of the potential of the list for reading promotion, learning about Africa and African writing and publishing, and encouraging the wider dissemination of African-authored books 3. To bring together key players in achieving the dissemination and promotion of African-authored books, including publishers, writers, booksellers and distributors, librarians, book and reading promotion organisations, educators and African-interest groups 4. To facilitate and encourage networking and the emergence of practical marketing, promotional and educational initiatives The Reading Africa programme was developed by SABDET. Working with the British Council and in consultation with Book Aid International (BAI) a number of project areas were defined. 2. Reading Africa project areas The main project areas developed were as follows: 1. Reading Promotion - selecting titles and targeting their take up by readers in the context of encouraging engagement with the process as a whole 2. Linking UK and Africa - developing activities which can be implemented in parallel in both the UK and Africa 3. Literary Festivals and Book Fairs - encouraging commitment including African writers and African-authored books in their programmes 4. Seminars and Conferences - developing professional awareness of Reading Africa and consideration of specific elements The Reading Promotion was intended have the most significant and widest impact, but the integration of all the elements into a concentrated strategy of profile raising and audience development was important. Achieving synergy and multiplying effects throughout the programme was a key aim. 3. Reading Africa A very effective Reading Africa promotion package was produced. 30 titles of adult literary fiction by African writers were selected and presented in a handy 32 page booklet together with banners, A3 and A4 display headers and showcards and postcards. The design and quality of production were positively received wherever they were shown. Good design, high quality production and efficient distribution were originally thought be critical and the results fully justified this. Take up by the public library sector in the UK fell short of the original aim of 50% of the 208 Public Library Authorities in the UK (149 authorities in England, 22 in Wales, 32 in Scotland and 5 Boards in Northern Ireland). 47 libraries ordered a total of 60 sets. Only 2 libraries in Scotland and 1 library in Wales placed orders and there were no orders from Northern Ireland. Orders in England tended come from libraries in the major urban areas. Rather than run the promotion as a specific event libraries tended integrate it with Black History Month events and it was viewed as very effective and useful in this regard. Working with the material was reported be of great benefit by the librarians. Promotion take up in Africa through the British Council exceeded original projections. The British Council actually purchased 40 sets of the promotion against the 20 originally envisaged. All British Council libraries in Africa received the promotion although the number of partner public libraries in Africa was reduced six. The British Council reported a very positive response the promotion from all libraries. 4. Linking UK and Africa An important element in Reading Africa was the linking of activities in the UK with Africa and the linking of readers and libraries in the UK and in Africa. …

Do governments have a right, if not a duty, to intervene forcibly to protect indigenous populations in other countries whose own governments are either incapable of defending them or are themselves responsible for the suffering? Both Muslims and Christians are often implicated as aggressors and suffer as victims in these situations. In some cases Christians persecute Muslims (Bosnia); in other Muslims persecute Christians (Sudan); in others again Christians persecute Christians (Croatia) and Muslims persecute Muslims (Iraq).1 Neither faith community is free from blame — and the challenge of what, if anything, to do about it confronts both alike. In this chapter we first consider the question of forcible humanitarian intervention in general, then apply our conclusions to the question of humanitarian intervention in Bosnia.

Before drawing together some of the main threads in this book, it will be as well to recall that the study group was formed out of concern with suggestions of a looming post-Cold War confrontation between Islam and the ‘Christian’ West: We are facing a mood and a movement far transcending the level of issues and policies and the governments that pursue them. This is no less than a clash of civilizations — the perhaps irrational but surely historical reaction of an ancient rival against our Judeo-Christian heritage, our secular present, and the world-wide expansion of both.1

Islam, as a formalized and institutionalized belief system, has its origins in seventh-century Arabia, with the revelations to the Prophet Muhammad, which we know as the Qur'an. The Qur'an states, however, that it confirms the earlier scriptures and prophets of God (Q. 3: 3, 5: 48, and so on). Muhammad was a prophet who also, in his later life, became a statesman. Fleeing persecution in his native Makkah (Mecca), he was invited, with his followers, to Madinah (Medina), where he founded a plural state, based on a constitution known as the Covenant of Madinah. Thus, unlike Christianity, Islam had immediately to grapple with the application of scripture to political life.