This article presents Finnish educational changes in the context of The Nordic Model of Social Democracy improved since 1963 versus English model of Neoliberal Democracy based on conservatism since 1979 with its roots in the late eighteenth century in Europe. The reform of education in Finland was supported by a new curriculum and different methods of teaching. In 1963 students started to have an access to the highest-quality education and it was not related to students’ place of living, richness or annual income. On the other side in England, privatization and centralization were the main pillars of the reform with neoliberalism, neoconservatism and its market competition in education. The central government was responsible for the provision of educational services, educational policy, and planning the direction of the educational system. Teachers faced an ultimatum: “either submit to re-education or lose your job” (Jones, p. 43). The 1988 reform strengthened the ideological control of education and accelerated differentiation between schools.

From the struggle for survival to world-class education – key programs in Singapore’s educational policy

The article draws attention to historical, political and legal aspects of the changes introduced in the Singapore education system. Educational reforms in this country have led to the formation of a highly effective system, i.e. world-class education. The aim of the article is to indicate some key programs of the government’s educational policy that have contributed to the country’s transition from the third world level to a leader of the first-world level. The article is a descriptive overview set in a temporal perspective. As such, it highlights the main changes in the organization and the functioning of the education system. Its five phases have been isolated and their specific features have been described. The effectiveness of the strategy adopted by Singapore has been assessed in the context of its political culture.

This paper discusses how teachers should be encouraged to lead in educational change through reflection based on Habermas’s theory of communicative action and discourse ethics. Habermas’s theory has much potential to help teachers to be leaders by contributing to the success of educational change and reform projects through reflection. By identifying the nature, scope, object and tradition of reflection and reflective practice, this paper explains the conception of reflection for teachers. It argues that teachers can be leaders in educational change through teacher reflection which promotes democratic interactions and communications among stakeholders of education.