This book investigates and analyses critical issues in education reform and discusses possible pitfalls in the current global drive to promote excellence. Instead of documenting the successes and frustrations encountered by education reformers in specific jurisdictions, this book aims to offer directions for all education reformers, and sets out to be prescriptive rather than descriptive. While the cases covered here are focused on Hong Kong, they are no less useful in throwing light upon the direction of education reform all over the world.

The first section of the volume, `Conceptual Framework', provides the theoretical underpinnings for the design and implementation of education reform. The next two sections, `Reform of Tertiary Education' and `Experiments, Dilemmas, and Risks in Secondary Schools' look at reform at the tertiary and secondary levels in greater detail. The final section, `Ideals vs. Reality: The Interplay of Diverse Interests and Diverse Perceptions', looks at the conflicting goals and perceptions of different `stakeholders', with a concluding chapter that summarizes the main lessons to be learnt.