The geography of education and comparative education

Abstract

This article examines the synergy between a long established discipline, geography, and the younger discipline of educational studies, especially its component, comparative education. Although this synergy was recognised by the founding father of comparative education, Michael Sadler, and one of his principal followers, George Bereday, the geography of education has yet to take its place alongside the other foundations of education. Possible reasons for this will be examined as well as the literature of the geography of education as it has slowly developed over the last 40 years.Since the majority of that literature has come from British academics,others have been excluded from this account due to constraints of space but it can be mentioned here that there have been significant inputs from European geographers, especially Peter Meusberger. Throughout, the value of a more sophisticated perception of the spatial dimension of educational activity and provision will be argued, especially in relation to comparative education.