Apples and Oranges: Comparative Education and Australia

Abstract

Comparative education, once a generic term used to compare one educational system to another, has evolved into a complex field of study that can be applied in a number of ways, particularly as it relates to international and global issues. Applying research within cultural and global contexts provides a channel to new forms of inquiry, but at a price, given its interdisciplinarity. Many nation-states like Australia have begun developing sets of quality standards in scholarship and research which, according to some scholars, may have the effect of encouraging the introduction of more diversified systems of higher education. Drawing specifically upon Brendan Nelson's 'Building University Diversity: Future approval and accreditation processes for Australian higher education' and related research, this paper proposes to examine: 1) the current state of comparative education in general and as applied to Australia; and 2) how it is likely to be utilized in the forseeable future.