Culture as an external determinant of the education system of BRICS member states : a comparative study

Abstract

Culture is one of the external determinants of an education system that influences its generality and the uniqueness of its characteristics. As such, culture is an outside factor that is used to shape learners' minds as it provides the tools, they require to build their self-perspective, making it an important element in the education systems of the BRICS member states in particular, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These countries are part of one of the most organised, supportive, and co-operative international organisations that currently exist worldwide. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to determine the nature of culture within the above-mentioned states as an external determinant of their education systems. At the same time, it will identify the best practices in recognising cultural diversity in these systems. Therefore, the study focuses on the similarities and differences in terms of culture as an external determinant of the BRICS member states' individual education systems. In order to identify the best practices of the BRICS member states, the study utilises the interpretivist research paradigm, which is implemented by means of a qualitative research method to analyse documents such as relevant constitutions, educational policies and legislation to generate the research data. Furthermore, it makes use of the comparative method throughout. The findings can be summarised as follows: all the BRICS member states recognise education as a basic human right that every citizen is entitled to and so is the embracing of cultural diversity, which varies within each member state. The following themes were analysed in depth: education sector, cultural influence, curriculum, unity in diversity and subjects. The study identified the best practises during its research, namely the recognition of the diversity and the inclusion of diverse cultures into their curricula to benefit the education system.