Obituary - T. Neville Postlethwaite
2 February 1933 - 12 April 2009
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Professor T. Neville Postlethwaite – respectfully and affectionately known to all as “the Prof” - passed away on Sunday 12 April 2009 at his home in London.
The Prof was recognized worldwide as the father of quantitative cross-national comparative educational research. He was the Foundation Executive Director of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) during its first decade (1963-1973), and then later became its Chairman. Under his leadership the IEA developed research programmes, methodologies, and logistical procedures that still define the highest standards in comparative educational research. Many of the world’s leading educational researchers in the fields of data analysis, psychometrics, sampling, and instrument construction learned their trade through involvement with the IEA and the Prof.
The Prof was Editor in Chief of two editions of the monumental 12 volume International Encyclopaedia of Education, and also the author of many books, research reports, journal articles, and special consultancy reports. He held the position of Professor of Comparative Education at the University of Hamburg and was the Foundation Executive Director of the International Academy of Education. He created the prestigious International Journal of Educational Research and was its senior editor for many years. The Prof’s research and teaching took him to many countries and most continents.
For the past 15 years the Prof has - among other major national and international assignments - worked with the staff of UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning and many African professionals on the establishment of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ). This important network of 15 Ministries of Education has developed into a substantial inter-governmental organization and has taken a leadership role in delivering valuable research and training programmes in the field of cross-national comparative education research.
We will always remember the Prof for his research talents, his commitment to high quality and accuracy in research, his generosity and willingness to "mentor" and teach others and make his time available to assist other researchers with their work, his wise advice on all matters educational, and his genuine dedication to using research as a pathway to improving the quality of education for children in all countries. We will also never forget his direct and determined approach to research and life, and his great sense of humour. He will remain in our hearts as an important member of the SACMEQ Family.
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