Privatisation Of Education In Canada: A Survey Of Trends

Abstract

The construct of 'neo-liberalism' well defines privatisation within a global convergence of educational policy discourses and practices. This study analyses initiatives for and processes of privatisation in Canadian education from K-12 to post-secondary levels. In considering how privatisation is affecting public education systems in Canada, the authors focus on the commodification and marketisation of education. They also examine issues of equity and the viability of universally accessible and publicly funded education systems. Finally, the study highlights two main interrelated trends: the intrusion of market discourse into education at all levels on one hand and on the other a growing tension between contrasting conceptions of education as a tradable commodity and as a social right.Zusammenfassung -PRIVATISIERUNG DER BILDUNG IN KANADA: EIN Ü BERBLICK Ü BER DIE TRENDS -Das Gedankengeba¨ude des ,Neoliberalismus' bietet eine treffende Erkla¨rung der Privatisierung im Rahmen einer globalen Anna¨herung der Bildungsdiskurse und -praktiken. Die vorliegende Studie analysiert Privatisierungsinitiativen und Privatisierungsverfahren im kanadischen Bildungssystem vom Kindergarten-und Schullevel bis zur Ebene der außerschulischen Bildungsanstalten. Die Autoren richten ihre Aufmerksamkeit darauf, in welcher Weise die Privatisierung das o¨ffentliche Bildungssystem Kanadas beeinflusst, und konzentrieren sich dabei besonders auf die Tatsache, dass Bildung zur Ware gemacht und vermarktet wird. Sie untersuchen auch die Chancengleichheit und Lebensfa¨higkeit eines allgemein zuga¨nglichen und o¨ffentlich gefo¨rderten Erziehungssystems. Zuletzt beleuchtet die Studie zwei zusammenha¨ngende Haupttrends: Die zunehmende Vermarktung der Bildung auf allen Ebenen einerseits und die wachsende Spannung zwischen gegensa¨tzlichen Bildungskonzepten andererseits: Hier Bildung als Handelsware, dort als Recht der Gesellschaft.

Petro-pedagogy: fossil fuel interests and the obstruction of climate justice in public education

“…According to David Harvey (2007), the neoliberal policies that have been implemented across the Anglo-American world (and elsewhere) since the 1970s can be understood as part of a project to restore class power after the post-war class compromise had diminished the share of national wealth held by elites. Education has not been exempted from these policies; it has been directly impacted by deregulation, privatisation and marketisation which have allowed for the growth of private and charter schools, private partnerships, deregulated tuition, and additional fees (Davidson-Harden and Majhanovich 2004). Moreover, market proxies and logics have been used to manage the residual public education sector, and civil society actors such as NGOs and charities have been encouraged to pick up the slack caused by budget cuts.…”

“…More broadly, the very purpose of education has been shifted with increasing emphasis on producing human capitalstandard-tested, job-ready workers to meet market demands and enhance the competitiveness of the state and capital (Brown 2015). Although public school education in Canada has been less aggressively restructured than in the United States, the neoliberal context of budget cuts, the growth of private schools, the introduction of public-private partnerships and standardised tests, and the emphasis on job-readiness have significantly reshaped public education across Canada's provincial school systems (Davidson-Harden and Majhanovich 2004;Noonan and Coral 2015).…”

The University Corporatization Shift: A Longitudinal Analysis of University Admission Handbooks, 1980 to 2010

“…This understanding of corporatization is the main concern of the research leading to this paper. The fact that there is much literature showing a concern with the push to the corporatization of education (Coates & Morrison, 2011;Côté & Allahar, 2011;Davidson-Harden & Majhanovich, 2004;Hacker & Dreifus, 2010;Häyrinen-Alestalo & Peltola, 2006;Newfield, 2008;Slaughter & Rhodes, 2009;Tuchman, 2011) implies that a change has occurred. But what has changed and why?…”

Globalization, Regional Organizations, and the Facets of Higher Education: Taiwan’s Perspectives

“…However, studies on the NAFTA's influence on the region have shown that policies of economic liberalization have indirectly impacted education. For example, Davidson-Harden & Majhanovich [24] indicated that free trade without tariff barriers brings more education service companies into the education business at various levels, leading to an increase in education privatization. Chiang [25] examined the changes in globalization of higher education and suggested that NAFTA, led by the US, had established professional diploma and certification standards 1)…”