ABOUT BOOK

Education – that is, the development of knowledge, skills, and values – is an important means by which to empower individuals in a society. As both a means towards and an outcome of ~gaining the capabilities necessary to participate in and contribute to society, education is an ~essential enabler in many social aspects, such as economic growth, poverty reduction, public ~health, and sustainable development, especially in today’s knowledge society. At the same ~time, however, education can still be a social institution that reflects and reproduces the social, ~cultural, and economic disadvantages that prevail in the rest of society (Bourdieu & Passeron, ~1990). For example, students who are discriminated against socio-culturally ~or who are economically ~poor are more likely to receive an education that is characterized by inadequate infrastructure, ~few qualified teachers and encouraging peers, and outmoded pedagogical practices, ~which often results in a lower quality of life.