Maintaining meritocratic mythologies: Teach For America and Ako Mātātupu: Teach First New Zealand

Abstract

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The Discursive Utility of the Global, Local, and National: Teach For All in Africa

“…"One day all children in Ghana will have access to an excellent education" G2a "One day, every Nigerian child will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education" N1 "…every child in Uganda, regardless of their socio-economic background, deserves an opportunity of an excellent education" U3 With references to "all [the nation's] children" accessing or attaining an "excellent education"a mission notably broad and meritocratic in its conceptualization (Crawford-Garrett et al 2021)these organizations again suggest their efforts are a form of nation-building, borne out of a concern for all Ghanaians, Nigerians, or Ugandans. LFG ambitiously claims: "We are writing the future of this nation" G4a , reinforcing a sense of patriotic belonging or national unity with this semantic assertion.…”

Privatising public education: are we there yet?

“…Alternative ITE providers such as those following a Teach for All model, a global network of teacher training providers in which elite university graduates complete two years of service in underprivileged schools and secure teacher registration at the conclusion, are clearly favoured in the Minister's announcement. Such programmes have consistently come under criticism abroad and at home for perpetuating a meritocratic myth underpinning social inequality (Crawford-Garrett et al, 2021). As well, the assumption that teacher education revolves solely around trainee teachers copying established practice found in schools reifies a false theory/practice binary (Couch et al, 2022), and risks de-professionalising teaching (Locke et al, 2024;Morgan, 2024).…”