Introduction

Conclusions

This Introduction has provided some background, an overview of broad areas of education and society, and an indication of the structure of the book. Hong Kong and Macao are similar in their colonial histories, ethnic composition, geographic location, and status as SARs of China. However, significant differences exist within their social, political and economic systems. This pattern has an impact on education as well as on other sectors, and helps explain many aspects of continuity and change.

Underlying each chapter in the book are several common premises. They include the following:

• the phenomena of continuity and change relate to all aspects and levels of education and society;

• some aspects of the relationship between education and social processes of continuity and change are universal, but patterns are complex and differ in individual societies;

• education in general, and schooling and curriculum processes in particular, can be understood more deeply if contextualised within wider frameworks;

• comprehension of the complex phenomena associated with educational processes is enhanced by comparative and multidisciplinary analysis and interpretation.

Finally, although the first edition of this book took its subject much further than previous studies, and the second edition takes it further still with the addition of two chapters and thorough updating of the rest, a great deal remains to be done. Individual components of education systems could be examined in greater detail; and the processes of change will require continuing monitoring and analysis. It is hoped that scholars will take the book as the basis for further work, thereby extending exploration more widely and deepening understanding of the processes of continuity and change in education and society.