Editorial introduction

Abstract

At this moment in history, the eyes of much of the world are on Hong Kong. The end of the British colonial era has been achieved through the negotiation of the unique constitutional formula of `one country, two systems’ , under which Hong Kong has again become part of China, but within which the territory has been promised autonomy in major spheres of economic and political life for at least 50 years. The key questions in front of all observers are the ways in which and the extent to which this arrangement will work. The political transition of course has major implications for most aspects of life, including education. Hong Kong’s transition is, in several respects, an international matter. First, it is the result of an agreement between two nations, i.e. China and the UK. Second, the two nations are keen to demonstrate to other nations that the agreement signed between them will be honoured. Third, the people of Hong Kong generally welcome the international interest in what has become known as the `1997 issue’ , since they have already built up a strong international network and are concerned about the safeguards for the negotiated agreement. Fourth, the topic has attracted the attention of many academics and professionals worldwide, who desire to understand the nature and implications of such an agreed political transition. In that light we, as guest editors of this special issue of the journal, responded enthusiastically when invited by the editorial board of Comparative Education to assemble a collection of articles focusing on Hong Kong’s transition. We were further pleased when it proved possible to time the release of the special issue to coincide almost exactly with the actual change of sovereignty. To set the scene for the articles which follow, this Editorial Introduction commences with the broader literature on education and political transition. We begin with this literature because a study of the Hong Kong case can contribute to a wider conceptual understanding as well as being a worthwhile subject of study in its own right. Following the remarks about education and political transition in different parts of the world, we situate the analysis of education within the multidisciplinary literature on the transition in Hong Kong. In addition, in this Editorial Introduction we explain the process through which the set of papers was assembled and we provide an overview of the themes that follow.