Journal of International and Comparative Education 

About: Journal of International and Comparative Education is an academic journal published by University of Malaya. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Higher education & Comparative education. It has an ISSN identifier of 2232-1802. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 98 publications have been published receiving 881 citations. The journal is also known as: JICE.

Benefits and Tensions of Shadow Education: Comparative Perspectives on the Roles and Impact of Private Supplementary Tutoring in the Lives of Hong Kong Students: (doi: 10.14425/00.45.72)

Abstract: Over half of Hong Kongs secondary students receive private supplementary tutoring, and in the last grade of secondary schooling the proportion exceeds 70%. Such tutoring is widely called shadow education because it mimics the regular system − as the curriculum in the schools changes, so it changes in the shadow; and as the regular school system expands, so does the shadow. The scale of private tutoring has grown significantly in the last two decades, and has become a standard feature of the lives of many families. Some tutoring is provided one-to-one by professionals, semi-professionals or amateurs; other tutoring is provided in small groups; and yet other tutoring is provided in lecture formats. Such tutoring demands significant financial investment by households, and also consumes substantial amounts of students time. Some tutoring has benefits in helping slow learners to keep up with their peers and in stretching further the learning of high achievers. Parents may also prefer to pay other people to manage homework and related stresses. However, tutoring can also increase pressures on young people, and is not always effective. This paper presents Hong Kong data within a framework that compares local patterns with those in other parts of the world. It raises questions about the implications of patterns and about appropriate responses for families, educators and policy makers.

Confronting the Shadow Education System: What Government Policies for What Private Tutoring': (doi: 10.14425/00.45.79)

Abstract: Book ReviewConfronting the Shadow Education System: What GovernmentPolicies for What Private Tutoring' By Mark Bray (2009), 135pp. ISBN: 078-92-803-1333-8, Paris: IIEP/UNESCO Publishing

Nation Building, English as an International Language, Medium of Instruction, and Language Debate: Malaysia and Possible Ways Forward (doi: 10.14425/00.50.27)

Abstract: In this article, we discuss Malaysia's major language policies surrounding Bahasa Malaysia and English as medium of instruction (MOI) since its independence. We show how issues involving a national language vis a vis English are shaped by different ethnic and social groups' competing views regarding these languages. We argue that the language debate in Malaysia is largely an emotive one that carries a historical baggage which no one is yet ready to discard and until such time, it will continue to represent a nation divided by nationalism, race-based politics and globalisation. However, we also interpret the Malaysian government's termination of English as the MOI in certain key school subjects starting in 2012 as not necessarily an arbitrary rejection of English but as a positive move, given the many problems associated with the over-reliance on English in education and language policies throughout Asia. We, thus, see the most recent act known as 'To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia & To Strengthen the English Language' (MBMMBI) as a necessary, firm, strategic and timely response by the Malaysian government to globalisation, nation building, the increasing international role of English, and the pressure to produce knowledge and maintain national cultural identity in today's world.

The Road Ahead for the Higher Education Sector in Vietnam: (doi: 10.14425/jice.2017.6.2.77

Abstract: Vietnam’s higher education sector, which has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years, has now reached a point where it is ready to become more research-oriented and better networked internationally. There are, however, aspects of the sector that remain desperately in need of further reform. This paper provides a contemporary review of the state of the higher education sector in Vietnam. It is written from the perspective of the sector’s need to become more research-focused and more internationally engaged. The paper identifies specific challenges for the sector. It also presents a glimpse of what the future of the sector might entail.

Myanmar's Rohingya Refugees in Malaysia: Education and the Way Forward: (doi: 10.14425/00.50.24)

Abstract: The Rohingya, a persecuted minority, has faced decades of harsh treatment and made stateless by the military government in Myanmar. To escape from this severe repression, most Rohingya flee to Bangladesh, Thailand or Malaysia. In Malaysia, this community has been living invisibly for more than three decades. Just like other refugees, the Rohingya are not allowed to work legally and do not have access to free healthcare and education in this country. Many of these refugee children learn in the learning centres run by the community with the help of UNHCR and local NGOs and in madrasah1 after school hours. Nevertheless there is a huge gap in education for these children, especially for girls and boys over 15 years old. This paper addresses the gap, discusses the teaching and learning provided in the refugee learning centres and the future of these refugee children in Malaysia.