Educational Reform in the Contemporary Middle East: A Crossroad of Global and Local
Author
Summary, in English
Education reforms in Iran is the most recent endeavor of the theocratic state to enhance the vision of the revolution in creating homo-Islamicus (the committed Muslim) and provide strategies for the national education to meet the demands of a globalized and competing world. The reform is the interplay of a rigid interpretation of religion, international discourse and local needs. On one hand, it is deeply rooted in Islam and colored by traditions and culture, and on the other hand is affected by international educational discourse including human rights, privatization, decentralization and lifelong learning.
The re-appropriation of religion seen both in the content of the curricula as well as the structure of the reform is a result of the failure of the Islamic model of education implemented systematically in post-revolutionary era. Inefficiency of the Iranian Islamic model assessed through the low achievement of Iranian students in such international studies as TIMMS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) intensified the need for the reform from within the country. Demand of the international organizations such as UNESCO and World Bank as a pre-condition for the cooperation also provided the ground for change in the Iranian education. The Iranians, however, introduced a new interpretation of the international discourse on education based on Islamic values.
The re-appropriation of religion seen both in the content of the curricula as well as the structure of the reform is a result of the failure of the Islamic model of education implemented systematically in post-revolutionary era. Inefficiency of the Iranian Islamic model assessed through the low achievement of Iranian students in such international studies as TIMMS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) intensified the need for the reform from within the country. Demand of the international organizations such as UNESCO and World Bank as a pre-condition for the cooperation also provided the ground for change in the Iranian education. The Iranians, however, introduced a new interpretation of the international discourse on education based on Islamic values.
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Document type
Conference paper
Topic
- Other Social Sciences
Conference name
MESA 2013
Conference date
2013-10-10
Conference place
New Orleans, United States
Status
Submitted