ABSTRACT
Vernon Mallinson's main, and lasting, contributions to the field of comparative education lie in his scholarly understanding and analysis of Belgium, which derived from his experiences of the country during the Second World War. Given his military service in Belgium during the Second World War, and his obvious attachment to the country, Mallinson became one of the few English writers to become fascinated with the country, its history, its complex political scene, and, inevitably, its education system. Moreover, Mallinson’s concept of Europe is remarkably small, including the Low Countries, France, and the United Kingdom, but excluding Scandinavia, Central Europe, and the Mediterranean countries. Mallinson’s lasting legacy to the field of comparative education was the concept of national character as expounded in his Introduction to the Study of Comparative Education. The fact that this ‘Introduction’ went into four editions says something about its importance and influence.
