Arab Education in Transition

The operation of schools in the Arab world is a topic about which very little is known in the West. This volume, first published in 1991, provides information about the Arab school and thus contributes to an understanding of what is taught, by whom, and under what conditions. It seeks to define the interaction between traditional elements and innovative forces impinging on the Arab school, as well as reviewing policies that concern the education of Arab children. It is maintained that Arab schools are in a state of transition, reproducing society and its norms on one hand while on the other operating as agents seeking to transform society. This work examines this claim in detail, providing a unique discussion about education in the Arab world.

Seven essays and an annotated bibliography based on direct observations of Arab schools, and published and unpublished literature, provide a supplement to the author's 1983 Education in the Arab world . A few of the many topics are democratization, student retention, sex equity, curricula, and textbooks. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.