VET researchers and policy-makers have historically displayed a keen interest in the future. Two assumptions link VET to the future. The first is that there is a singular object called VET and, secondly, that it can influence a forthcoming state of reality. This relationship is investigated through a rarely utilised post-structuralist discourse…

In 2017, the European Union (EU) initiated the development of the European Education Area (EEA). The referentiality approach frames an original and timely inquiry into how EU policymakers explain the reasons for the development of the EEA. This inquiry relies on thematic analysis of relevant key policy materials, produced by the European…

This study examines the key historical stages of the sustainable rural education policy development, including the stage of Rural Education Restoration and Adjustment Period (1979-1985); the stage of Comprehensive Reform Period of Rural Education (1985-2003); the stage of Rural Education Coordinated Development Period (2003-2018); and the stage of…

Preschool education belongs to non-compulsory enlightenment education, and it is difficult to measure and analyze the development of preschool education in different regions because of its multiple attributes and diversity of influencing factors. In addition, decision makers will be limited by their own cognition when facing multi-attribute…

In the face of ideologically driven inquiry and advocacy, debates about school choice and public-private-partnerships in education have produced more "light than heat." Although scholars have recently emphasized the need for a greater focus on the particulars of policy design, limitations of existing frameworks have inhibited rigorous…

This study aims to explore the panorama of international education development in China from a retrospective policy mapping perspective. In China, international education is closely linked with educational internationalization and opening to the outside world. The internationalization of education in China refers to the cross-border communication,…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is changing across Europe, reflecting multiple-policy intentions and assumptions about education in early years, and the role of the state in supporting, funding and regulating its institutions. In this article, we examine the evolution of ECEC comparatively in Finland and Sweden, and we explore the shifts…

Temporality is a relatively new conception in the field of education policy. Drawing upon historical sociology, this article aims to contribute to the field by deconstructing China's policy discourse - education modernization. It traces the history of the discourse (1904-2012) to analyze how Chinese rurality is interwoven into the nation's pursuit…

Purpose: This policy review paper is an analysis of the Double Reduction Policy (DRP) of China that was promulgated in July 2021. It looks into its rationale as well as different stakeholders' early reactions to the policy. Design/methodology/approach: Critical policy analysis (CPA) method was used to identify (1) the artefacts, such as language,…

Introduction: This study provides comprehensive insights of how the education system in South Africa evolved. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a brief analytic insight into the legacy of the apartheid education system. Secondly, the study scrutinizes and explores the systemic failures of the democratic administration in redressing…

"Local Schools, Local Decisions" (LSLD) was a package of school autonomy reforms operating in the state of New South Wales, Australia from 2012 to 2020. The set of reforms centred on the devolution of additional powers and responsibilities to school principals, namely enhanced capacity to manage staffing and financial functions in…

This book explores the holistic development of vocational education in Chinese education system. It investigates the vocational education policy development, student development, allocation of teachers' resources, financial mechanism and system, students' financial aid, examination and enrollment, private vocational education system, and…

This study explores new pedagogical trends in China's teacher education from a holistic policy analysis perspective. The emerging idea of 'new normal/teacher education' is explored in this study. Applying the comprehensive policy text analysis, we examined the quality of teacher education as the core; explored the comprehensive quality and pursuit…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is one of the key challenges facing China. This paper reviews the development of ECEC in China and its challenges. Substantial developments and policy reforms related to ECEC since the 1980s have been examined, and the practices in China have been highlighted. The review reveals that the ECEC system has…

This study interrogates how one of the least-studied regional intergovernmental organisations, the African Union (AU), operationalises or recontextualises the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the process of developing its post-2015 education and development strategies. Employing critical discourse analysis and drawing on…