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Education Policy Research Series Discussion Document No. 5 Education Systems in ASEAN+6 Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Educational Issues Education Policy Research Series Discussion Document No. 5 Education Systems in ASEAN+6 Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Educational Issues Education Policy and Reform Unit UNESCO Bangkok Published in 2014 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and UNESCO Bangkok Office © UNESCO 2014 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution‐ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC‐BY‐ SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open‐access/terms‐use‐ccbysa‐en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Design/Layout: Jin A Hwang THA/DOC/14/004‐E Preface This comparative report reviews and analyses a range of selected educational issues in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)+6 countries, which include 10 ASEAN member countries plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. In particular, it highlights the key issues, challenges and opportunities for improving system performance and reducing educational disparities across ASEAN+6 countries. It thus provides useful inputs for informing policy options for education development in these and other countries. The issues reviewed are grouped into three policy areas: 1) sector policy and management frameworks, 2) secondary education, and 3) technical and vocational education and training (TVET), all of which are of critical importance in the context of formulating and operationalizing education reform agendas in these countries. A comparative review of the current educational context in ASEAN+6 countries indicates that: All ASEAN+6 countries have a legal provision for free and compulsory education for at least some levels of basic education. Education system structures vary, however 6+3+3 is the most common in the region, followed by a 6+4+2 system. Most ASEAN+6 countries have decentralized some functions and responsibilities to lower levels of administration but remain rather centralized, especially with regard to standard setting and teacher management. Many ASEAN+6 countries have promoted alternative education and the use of equivalency programmes, however the ways alternative learning programmes are organized, delivered and certified differ. There is an increasing recognition of the association between quality of learning outcomes and enabling factors for quality education such as curriculum and assessment, quality assurance, teaching and learning time, language in education policies and teacher quality. Trends in TVET enrolment rates vary across the region; in most countries, the share of TVET has tended to decrease over the past decade. All ASEAN+6 countries recognize the importance of TVET and many include it in their national socio‐economic development plans, however TVET continues to be “unpopular” and the demarcation between general and vocational education is increasingly blurred. There are wide variances in the ways countries prepare their workforce and perform educationally in TVET but most have attempted to put in place systems for TVET quality assurance and qualifications frameworks. Reviewing these issues and the diverse approaches that countries have chosen to respond with has shed some lights on the possible policy choices for a country wishing to undertake education reform in these areas. Evidence reveals that high performing education systems appear to: Commit strongly, both legally and financially, to education Spend more and spend wisely on education Devolve more management responsibilities to sub‐national levels Produce and use more data Undertake frequent curriculum reforms to respond to changing needs and make education more relevant i
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