Comparing multicultural education in China and Finland: From policy to practice

Over the last several decades multicultural education has played a key role in many educational policies and practices internationally. In this article, the author examines multicultural education in the Chinese and Finnish contexts through a comparative study. The comparison includes the scope of diversity, the policy and practice of multicultural education, and what two distinct educational systems can learn from each other. A critical multicultural education framework and pluralistic unity nationality theory have been employed to discuss the policy and practice of multicultural education in both countries. The analysis clarifies commonalities and context-bound differences. Implications and suggestions for further development of multicultural education in both countries are also explored.