2. The Asia Pacific Century
Asia-Pacific is now a major area for
market expansion. Within the
region, recent shifts from a centrally-
planned economies to those driven by free
market forces have prompted the
development of the transitional market
economies label.
3. The region has recorded unprecedented economic
growth over the past two decades, with the highest levels
recorded in Southeast and East Asia. Major shifts in
countries’ political and economic environments in the 1970’s
led to increased prosperity and rapid social change.
Technology provided the major impetus that enabled
these changes. Increased capacity for generating, processing
and disseminating information enables rapid sharing and
synthesis of knowledge.
4. Information and knowledge to optimize
economic gains in production has become
critical. Information and communications
technology has vast applications in almost
every field of human concern.
5. The teacher, once the walking repository of
knowledge, experience and information, wielding the power to
pass or fail students, must compete with host of other information
sources. The teacher in the coming information age should not
only be a transmitter of facts and figures, but rather a guide in the
student’s quest for learning.
Current trends may lead to developing an opinion
leadership role for the teacher/educators. Rather than the sole
mediator of information and learning, the teacher may take on
various roles on different issues, either as an information
seeker, guide or information provider.
6.
7. The learning
continuum is fast
becoming
borderless, embracing a
lifelong dimension, with
the pace of the knowledge
acquisition described as
unprecedented.
8. Population growth is fast
outpacing the world’s
capacity to provide learning
opportunities to individuals
and groups. Mass
participation in education
needs to be addressed by
the education sector.
9. Recognition of
prior
learning, accreditation
and equivalency are
approaches that are
gaining substantial
focus.
10. Work-specific
and beyond-the-
campus strategies
deserve the
educator’s
attention.
11. Distance
education, open learning
and other flexible
systems are now
recognized as having the
capacity to provide
access to lifelong
education opportunities.
