In Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Education, Rita J. Simon and Lisa Banks provide a broad perspective on education in twenty countries. This work examines and compares the system of education, literacy rates, enrollment rates, types of public and private schools, years of compulsory education, and the amount of money the government allocates to education in the different societies. Each country's demographic characteristics and political, social, and economic institutions are summarized. The influence of each nation's political and cultural ideology on the educational system is discussed. This third book in the Global Perspectives on Social Issues series grants scholars and policy makers an overview of the steps being taken by governments and educational organizations worldwide to increase the quality, standards, goals, and accessibility of education.