Assignment 2: Nation-building in an Education System (5-8 page paper, double-spaced)
Consider how nation-building is part of the K-12 education system in a country of your choice. If you have language abilities for that country, use research and newspaper articles in the national languages as well. Students can choose to work alone or in pairs (for a slightly longer and more deeply researched project). Consider the following questions:
- Historical origins: When was the national education system set up? What were the key concerns at that time?
- Curriculum: How was the education system designed to develop a sense of national identity? Consider in particular curriculum around history education and an emphasis on citizenship? How effective was that work?
- Contemporary challenges: How does nation-building remain is a concern of the country’s education system? What are the successes in this system? What are the enduring challenges? Are there differences in the reporting in English versus national languages?
Assignment 3: Final Paper and Presentation (8-10 page paper, double-spaced).
- Examine one aspect of the history of an education system in one country, and consider how the historical development is significant today (expanding from assignment 2)
- Highlight a model that is working well in one country & making the case for international adoption
- Diagnose a policy intervention in a particular country
- Create a blueprint for innovation to address an educational problem in a country of your choice
- A creative project
- A topic of your choosing with permission of the instructor.