Chapter 1: How have Government Policies and Mandates Affected Public Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East?

Government mandates in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East have a substantiated reality all stakeholders in education should relish: they impact every aspect of education, especially expanding learning for different and diverse groups of learners. Research on education and reforms in teaching and learning are rapidly changing in these regions. There is a deduction that needs investigation and documentation as it is still not the standard: if research on teaching and learning have been evolving rapidly in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, then research on the dynamics affecting every aspect of education and expansive learning in the regions should be experiencing commensurate evidence-based reporting. Such regional dynamics include how government mandates and policies have affected access to and equity in education.