Commonwealth Education Partnerships 2011 15 Introduction The Commonwealth classes 33 of its member countries as small states, adopting a broad definition which includes, alongside countries with a population of less than 1.5 million, those larger states that share many similar characteristics – Botswana, The Gambia, Jamaica, Lesotho, Namibia and Papua New Guinea. Small states thus comprise over half of the total membership, and the Commonwealth has a strong mandate to give special attention to them. The 2009/2010 volume of Commonwealth Education Partnerships reported upon the start of a programme of research on education in small states commissioned by the Commonwealth Secretariat (Crossley and Bray, 2010). This study was designed to inform, and take further shape from, discussions held with Ministers of Education and senior officials from small states at the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) held during 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This paper reflects upon what has been achieved since the 17th CCEM, and provides an overview of the key research findings and issues that are reported in a new Commonwealth Secretariat publication, Education in Small States: Policies and Priorities (Crossley, Bray and Packer, 2011). The research process Research began with a critical analysis of global trends and developments at the broadest environmental, economic and societal levels. This included an examination of the nature and impact of international education and development goals and agendas from the perspective of small states. This was directly linked to the ‘Towards and Beyond Global Goals and Targets’ theme that was established for the 17th CCEM. Comparisons were then drawn with educational and development targets, and aspirations being articulated and advanced within Commonwealth small states. In doing so, the research team was able to draw upon earlier studies (Bray, 1992; Bray and Packer, 1993), on an extensive network of policy-makers, administrators, academics and practitioners working within small states (see www.smallstates.net), and on the findings of doctoral researchers from small states studying at the University of Bristol, UK. In addition, consultation was possible with small states educational planners participating in the Advanced Training Programme (ATP) at UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in Paris. Initial findings were presented directly to a specially convened meeting of Ministers of Education and senior officials at the 17th CCEM. The ensuing discussions made a central contribution to the nature, content and focus of the ongoing research. Statistical data relating to education and human development in small states were drawn from a parallel study of the performance of Commonwealth countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) targets (Packer and Aggio, 2010). Further detailed research – including field visits to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea – was then possible, within this contextually grounded framework. At the theoretical level, the study adopted a socio-cultural approach to comparative educational research that is sensitive to contexts (Crossley and Watson, 2003), and consistent with Amartya Sen’s influential work on Commonwealth values and respect for and understanding of difference (Sen, 2007). Findings and priority issues Contemporary global challenges, limited natural resources and small populations underpin the robust commitment of many small states to the development of high-level skills for the knowledge Revisiting educational policies and priorities in Commonwealth small states Michael Crossley, Mark Bray, Steve Packer and Terra Sprague