the privatisation of education Flashcards
What is Privatisation in Education?
Privatisation is where services which were once owned and provided by the state are transferred to private companies, such as the transfer of educational assets and management to private companies, charities or religious institutions.
What is Privatisation in Education?
What is the UK budget on Education ad what does this include?
The UK government spends approximately £90 billion on education, which includes to costs of teacher’s salaries, support workers, educational resources, building and maintaining school buildings, and the cost of writing curriculums, examinations and inspections (OFSTED), which means there is plenty of stuff which could potentially be privatised.
What is Privatisation in Education?
Most aspects of education in the UK have traditionally been run by the state. Continue on from this statement.
Most aspects of education in the UK have traditionally been run by the state, and funded directly by the government with taxpayer’s money, managed by Local Education Authorities (local councils). However, with the increasing influence of New Right ideas on education, there has been a trend towards the privatisation of important aspects of education, both in the UK and globally. In other words, increasing amounts of taxpayer’s money goes straight to private companies who provided educational services, rather than to Local Education Authorities.
What is Privatisation in Education?
Who provides a distinction between Exogenous and Endogenous Privatisation?
Ball and Youdell (2007) distinguish between exogenous privatisation (privatisation from outside) and endogenous privatisation (privatisation within the education system).
What is Privatisation in Education?
Describe Exogenous Privatisation.
Exogenous Privatisation
The Cola-isation of Schools
The private sector also penetrates education indirectly. One way is through vending machines and marketing campaigns which help develop brand loyalty through the logo and sponsorships on display. This is known as the ‘Cola-isation of schools’.
What did Molnar (2005) say about the Exogenous Privatisation of Schools?
Molnar (2005): Schools are targeted as they carry a lot of good will and can confer legitimacy on anything associated with them. In other words, they are a kind of product endorsement that companies such as Tesco and Cadbury’s use to sell products.
What criticisms were raised by Sharon Beder (2009) and Ball (2003) about the Exogenous Privatisation of Schools?
This is often of limited benefit to schools though. Sharon Beder (2009) found that UK families spent £110,000 in Tesco Supermarkets to qualify for a single computer to put in schools. Ball (2003) found a Cadbury’s initiative had to be scrapped after it was revealed that pupils would have to eat 5,400 chocolate bars to qualify for one set of volleyball posts.
What is Ball’s argument about Education as a Commodity?
Ball argues privatisation is now the key factor shaping education. Education is being transferred from public ownership to private companies and education is seen as a ‘legitimate object of private profit making’: a commodity that can be bought and sold.
Education as a Commodity
Stuart Hall, a Marxist (2011), sees Coalition government policies as part of the ‘long march of the neo-liberal revolution
What is his argument?
Stuart Hall, a Marxist (2011), sees Coalition government policies as part of the ‘long march of the neo-liberal revolution’ (for example academies involve handing over state assets to private capitalists). The argument that this drives up standards is a myth used to legitimate the turning of public education into a source of private profit.
What is Privatisation in Education?
Describe Endogenous Privatisation.
Privatisation within education refers to the introduction of free-market principles into the day to day running of schools. This is basically marketisation and includes the following:
• Making schools compete for pupils so they become like businesses
• Giving parents choice so they become consumers (open enrolment)
• Linking school funding to success rates (formula funding)
• Introducing performance related pay for teachers
• Allowing successful schools to take over and manage failing schools.
Refer to the information on the 1988 Education act earlier in this topic for the strengths and limitations of this type of privatisation.
Arguments for Privatisation
The main views which argue for privatising education are from Neoliberalism and The New Right.
What are their views?
The Neoliberal/New Right argument is that state-run education is inefficient. They argue that the state’s involvement leads to ‘bureaucratic self-interest’, the stifling of initiative and low standards. To overcome these problems the education system must be privatised, and New Right Policies have led to greater internal and external privatisation.
Arguments for Privatisation
The main views which argue for privatising education are from Neoliberalism and The New Right.
What is the argument for Internal Privatisation?
The basic argument for internal privatisation is that the introduction of Marketisation within education has increased competition between schools and driven up standards.
Arguments for Privatisation
The main views which argue for privatising education are from Neoliberalism and The New Right.
What is the argument for External Privatisation?
The basic argument for external privatisation is that private companies are used to keeping costs down and will run certain aspects of the education system more efficiently than Local Education Authorities, even if they make a profit. Thus it’s a win-win situation for the public and the companies.
Arguments Against the Privatisation of Education
The main perspective which criticises Privatisation is Marxism. What is this?
If private companies have an increasing role in running the education system this may change the type of knowledge which pupils are taught – with more of an emphasis on maths and less of an emphasis on critical humanities subjects which aren’t as profitable. Thus a narrowing of the curriculum might be the result.
Stephen Ball has also referred to what he sees as the cola-isation of schools – The private sector also increasingly penetrates schools through vending machines and the development of brand loyalty through logos and sponsorships.
There might be an increasing inequality of educational provision as private companies cherry pick the best schools to take over and leave the worst schools under Local Education Authority Control.
Arguments Against the Privatisation of Education
The main perspective which criticises Privatisation is Marxism. Will this lead to an increase in inequality?
There might be an increasing inequality of educational provision as private companies cherry pick the best schools to take over and leave the worst schools under Local Education Authority Control.
