Introduction

I have been working with colleagues in China since 1988. This book is based on these years of experience and is set in the context of policy reforms in each country. Modernisation has been a central goal for China since the late 1970s and is a core project for the New Labour government in Britain. I have two main questions: how has the goal of modernisation shaped policies for educational reform in China and Britain and how have reforms carried out in the name of modernisation affected processes of social inclusion and exclusion? Despite the contrasts in cultural and political values, there are increasing similarities between the education systems of the two countries, for example the promotion of selective schools as a resource for the wider community and the difficulty of reconciling aims of competitive excellence with projects for social inclusion.