Teaching of Philosophy in Asia and the Pacific This page provides background materials on the teaching of philosophy in Asia and the Pacific, at primary, secondary and tertiary level. This page is for the purposes of consultation and the draft files presented will be updated following open review, and as we have more information. In particular we list country by country materials as linked pdf files below. Inquiries and submissions to philosophy-rushsap[at]unesco.org

The High level Conference on Teaching of Philosophy in Asia and the Pacific was held 25-26 May 2009, Manila, Philippines. UNESCO organized, in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Education,  the Office of the Philippine Presidential Assistant for Education, and the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO, a regional high-level meeting on the teaching of philosophy in Asia and the Pacific. We invited government officials, curriculum experts, and philosophy teachers to this.

Please send comments on the Draft Regional Action Plan on Philosophy Teaching developed at the Meeting (pdf file)

A summary brochure of philosophy teaching in the region has been produced (pdf file; Including messages from the President of the Philippines and UNESCO, and general review).

The objective of this regional meeting was to discuss the formulation of policies in the field of the teaching of philosophy at national and regional levels, in view of the full attainment of quality education. To this end, this meeting addressed the main challenges that the teaching of philosophy in Asia and the Pacific is facing today, such as - the place that should be given to philosophy in primary and secondary education curricula - the added value of philosophical inquiry to moral education - the crucial issue of philosophy teacher training - the development of culturally appropriate content and methods drawing from the rich traditions of philosophy in Asia and the Pacific - and the question of the necessary interactions between the teaching of philosophy in secondary and higher education.

The meeting also drew on the study published by UNESCO in 2007 on the state of the art of the teaching of philosophy in the world, entitled “Philosophy, a School of Freedom”. This publication, based on the results of a worldwide survey, draws up the state of the teaching of philosophy at all education levels, both formal and informal.

There were satellite meetings as below:

APPEND philosophy experts consultation, Manila, 24 May.

Philosophy for children training workshop, Manila, 23 May.

Draft agenda of the high level meeting is here (pdf file).

Asian-Arab Philosophical Dialogues, Bangkok, 28-30 May.

Inquiries and submissions to philosophy-rushsap[at]unesco.org

Country by country profiles (consultation drafts - please return comments):

Central Asia

1.     Uzbekistan

2.     Turkmenistan

3.     Tajikistan

4.     Kyrgyzstan

5.     Kazakhstan

6.     Mongolia

7.     Iran

8.     Afghanistan

 

East Asia

1.     People's Republic of China

2.     Japan

3.     Democratic People's Republic of Korea

4.     Republic of Korea

 

Southeast Asia

1.     Brunei

2.     Cambodia

3.     East Timor

4.     Indonesia

5.     Laos

6.     Malaysia

7.     Myanmar

8.     Philippines

9.     Thailand

10.   Vietnam

11.   Singapore

 

South Asia

1.     India

2.     Pakistan

3.     Nepal

4.     Bhutan

5.     Bangladesh

6.     Sri Lanka

7.     Maldives

 

Pacific

1.     Australia

2.     Cook Islands

3.     Fiji

4.     Kiribati

5.     Marshall Islands

6.     Micronesia

7.     Nauru

8.     New Zealand

9.     Niue

10.  Palau

11.  Papua New Guinea

12.  Samoa

13.  Solomon Islands

14.  Tonga

15.  Tuvalu

16.  Vanuatu

Inquiries and submissions to philosophy-rushsap[at]unesco.org

 

Page updated: 18 March 2010.