Posted: August 14th, 2022

Neoliberalism in Education

Neoliberalism in Education

Neoliberalism is an economic philosophy that emphasizes free markets, individual autonomy, and minimal government intervention. In the realm of education, neoliberal policies have exposed schools to free market principles like competition between schools and teachers and extensive cost-saving measures. Proponents argue that it can force schools to reform so they’re more responsive to parents, less wasteful, and competing to become the best schools within a free market context. However, detractors argue that this model will exacerbate social inequalities because free markets tend to advantage those with money and resources, leaving the poor and marginalized with the lower-quality scraps.

One of the main features of neoliberalism in education is the privatization of schooling. The belief system holds that private enterprise can provide higher-quality educational services than public institutions. This is because private institutions are reactive to market forces such as parents ‘shopping’ for the best school. However, it is arguable that exposing schools to market forces can be harmful to students who come from low-income backgrounds who will be disadvantaged by lack of resources or funding to get into the best schools in the open educational market.

Another facet of neoliberalism in education is the use of standardized tests and league tables to measure and compare schools against each other. Within the neoliberal paradigm, students are viewed as consumers rather than learners, with an emphasis on competition over collaboration. The neoliberal approach to education also focuses heavily on outcomes-based assessments. Numerical data is used to determine student success or failure which disregards qualitative factors such as critical thinking and creativity.

Neoliberalism in education has been widely criticized because of its role in prioritizing ‘free markets’ as the optimum way of solving problems and organizing society. In the field of education, this leads to an emphasis on the knowledge economy that can reduce both persons and education to economic actors and be detrimental to wider social and ethical goals. Some of the challenges posed by neoliberalism in education include:

– The erosion of public education as a common good and a democratic right
– The commodification of education and knowledge as products to be bought and sold
– The reduction of education to a means of economic competitiveness and human capital development
– The marginalization of alternative forms of education that promote social justice, diversity, and critical citizenship
– The loss of academic freedom and autonomy for teachers and researchers
– The increase of social stratification and inequality in access to quality education

To resist neoliberalism in education, some scholars and activists have proposed alternative visions and practices that challenge the dominant logic of the market. These include:

– Developing a critical pedagogy that fosters critical consciousness, social transformation, and emancipation
– Creating a public sphere that enables democratic dialogue, participation, and deliberation
– Building a solidarity economy that values cooperation, reciprocity, and sustainability
– Promoting a culture of resistance that challenges the status quo, exposes injustices, and imagines alternatives
– Forming a network of alliances that connects different movements, organizations, and communities

Neoliberalism in education is not inevitable or irreversible. It is a political project that can be contested and transformed by collective action and collective imagination.

References:

Ball, S.J. (2016). Neoliberal Education? Confronting the Slouching Beast. Policy Futures in Education 14(8), 1046–1059.

Brathwaite, K.A. (2017). Neoliberalism’s Marketisation Of Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis Of The UK And Jamaica. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 15(3), 1–26.

Ingleby, E. (2021). Neoliberalism And Education: A Critical Review Of The Literature And Implications For Educational Practice. International Journal of Educational Research Open 2(1), 100021.

Angus, L. (2015). School Choice: Neoliberal Education Policy And Imagined Futures. British Journal of Sociology of Education 36(3), 395–413.

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