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Topics
Comparative Education, International Education, IOE History
Extent
168 m
Scope and content
Comparative education is an academic and interdisciplinary subject which applies historical, philosophical and social science theories and methods to classify and explain characteristics of different national education systems. It studies why educational systems and processes vary and how education relates to wider social factors and forces.
Comparative education grew from international education, which analyses and fosters international orientation in knowledge and attitudes, and brings together students, teachers and scholars from different nations to learn about and from each other. The field first appeared in the early 19th century alongside the rise of national education, though it did not develop as an academic subject until the 20th century. Its early development was hampered by the two World Wars, where it was used for ideological competition. However, significant academic developments occurred during the inter-war period, including the publication of Isaac Kandel's influential book Comparative Education (1933). Kandel also edited the Educational Yearbook (1924-1944), and other important publications emerged, including the Yearbook of Education and the International Yearbook of Education. The first academic courses and programs were also developed during this time, including a course at the IOE.
The collection began with two separate departmental libraries. In 1927, the Africa Department was established, which was renamed the Colonial Department two years later. This department evolved into the Department of Education in Tropical Areas in 1952, developing its own specialized library collection. The Department's library development was significantly enhanced through the May Esther Bedford Fund, established by the American wife of Dr W. Bryant Mumford, the Head of the Department. Meanwhile, in the early 1930s, Sir Percy Nunn, second director of the IOE, established the Comparative Education Department Library. This collection received a substantial boost in 1935 through a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The collection was further expanded when Professor Fred Clarke toured the Dominions, gathering annual reports and other official materials.
In 1969, these two important collections were brought together when the Institute Library moved to new premises in Ridgmount Street. Today, the unified collection contains books and pamphlets from around the world, primarily from the period 1900-1980, with newer materials added to the main Library's open shelves. While the emphasis is on educational theory and practice, the collection also includes valuable supporting literature on social and economic conditions and history.
Access
These materials are accessible on a reference basis within our libraries. To locate the Comparative Education Pamphlets Collection please search COMPEDPAMPHLETS on UCL Explore. The remainder of the collection can be discovered by searching COMPEDBOOKS in UCL Explore.