This is our Second Call for Papers for the XVI Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES) that will be held in Golden Sands, Varna, Bulgaria, 11 – 15 June 2018. The Conference theme is: Education in Modern Society.

The XVI BCES Conference Theme as proposed by Prof Hennie Steyn, Dr Deon Vos and Dr Louw de Beer:

Many different and even opposing viewpoints existed to the present about the nature and aims of education and of the education system. Consensus nevertheless exists amongst all educationally-interested individuals and groups that education and the education system should support the successful development and functioning of all modern societies. Modern (time) societies include developing as well as developed societies, because all societies in the world are interrelated to each other. Modern societies are complex in nature, a fact which places significant pressure on education to provide in the education needs of such complex societies. Agreement exists amongst all involved that the basic aim of education and of education systems is to provide in the education needs of the society that they serve and that the success or failure of the education and education system can be determined by establishing the level to which they meet these criteria.

To understand and eventually participate for the purpose of improving education in modern society, the participants of the XVI BCES Conference in Golden Sands, Varna, could focus on issues such as the following:

• How does a society’s understanding of Education as a Phenomenon determine the way in which education is viewed and applied in a given society?
• What challenges are posed to education and to the education system by The Complex Features of Modern Societies? The following embody such challenges, for example: the unity and diversity displayed by cultures, the use of a variety of languages, the economic status of the citizens, and the condition of the national and international environment;
• How do Education Systems Respond to these Challenges? Do their responses result, for example, in new curriculum frameworks or in a re-evaluation of the so-called general vs vocational education issues or in a balance between central and local education control?
• To what extent are Unique Projects in Education employed for the purpose of supplementing the ”regular” education services? The so-called private education enterprises or programs for limiting health problems such as Aids are typical examples of such projects.

It remains as important as ever for educationists to reflect on the role of education in modern societies and to contribute to the constant improvement in the quality of education and thereby to the vibrancy of modern society.

The Conference Thematic Sections are:

1. Comparative and International Education & History of Education
2. Teacher Education
3. Education Policy, Reforms & School Leadership
4. Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Social Inclusion
5. Law and Education
6. Research Education & Research Practice
7. Global Education and Education Development

You are invited to submit a full paper that will be published in the BCES Conference Book, 2018, Vol. 16. As always, the Conference Book will be published both print and online before the conference beginning. BCES Conference Books are indexed in EBSCO, ERIC, and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals). For more information, please visit the BCES Conference website: http://www.bces-conference.org.

BCES has had a track record of attracting a diverse audience from across the globe since its establishment in 1991. The 2018 conference will be housed in one of the major seaside resort towns on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast!

I am looking forward to meeting you there.

Please share the information with your colleagues.

Best regards,

Teodora Genova, PhD
Assistant Conference Chair

www.bces-conference.org