An Epidemic of Education Policy: (what) can we learn from each other?

Comparing OECD educational models through the prism of PISA

“…more akin to an epidemics than mutual learning (Levin, 1998). Thus, there has developed an endogenous process of fabricating an educational orthodoxy which lacks real rationality.…”

Stating the Obvious: The European Qualifications Framework is Not a neutral evidence-based policy tool

“…The idea of learners as 'consumers' is central to neo-liberal thinking, in which education is perceived as a market in which 'learners' should have free choice, and education and training providers should be competing to attract learners (see also Levin, 1998). The framework stipulates the 'outcome' of education and training, and provides the measuring rod for successful completion: Have the candidates acquired the competences or not?…”

“…The process seems, to use the words of Levin (1998), almost 'epidemic' in its spread, as the few countries which had reservations are becoming fewer on the official list of 'implementing, considering and not-implementing Member States' (Bjørnåvold, 2007a). [7] In the countries which want to accede to the EU, work on national qualifications frameworks is ongoing, and here the influence of the EQF on developments is clear (Bjørnåvold, 2007b).…”

“…My argument is that the EQF is not a neutral evidence-based policy tool. In this sense, I shall substantiate Levin's (1998) argument on an epidemic spread of neo-liberal policies in education.…”

“…In her article, she points to the need to learn more from countries with many years of experience with qualifications frameworks, and this was my point of departure when I started researching for this article: What are the experiences from other countries in terms of achieving the policy objectives of transparency, comparability and portability? During my research, Levin's (1998) argument about an 'epidemic spread' of neo-liberal policies across countries came to mind. In an article on 'policy borrowing', Levin explores the spread of 'free school choice' and wonders why this practice, despite the fact that there is no real evidence underpinning it, has managed to spread across the globe.…”