E-Book Overview
Is the privatisation of state education defendable? Did the public sector ever provide a fair education for all learners?
In <EM>Education plc, Stephen Ball provides a comprehensive, analytic and empirical account of the privatisation of education. He questions the kind of future we want for education and what role privatisation and the private sector may have in that future. Using policy sociology to describe and critically analyse changes in policy, policy technologies and policy regimes, he looks at the ethical and democratic impacts of these changes and raises the following questions:
- Is there a legitimacy for privatisation based on the convergence of interests between business and the ‘third way’ state?
- Is the extent and value of private participation in public education misunderstood?
- How is the selling of private company services linked to the remodelling of schools?
- Why have the technical and political issues of privatisation been considered but ethical issues almost totally neglected?
- What is happening here, beyond mere technical changes in the form of public service delivery?
- Is education policy being spoken by new voices?
Drawing upon extensive documentary research and interviews with senior executives from the leading ‘education services industry’ companies, the author challenges preconceptions about privatisation. He concludes that blanket defence of the public sector as it was, over and against the inroads of privatisation, is untenable, and that there is no going back to a past in which the public sector as a whole worked well and worked fairly in the interests of all learners, because there was no such past.
This book breaks new ground and builds on Stephen Ball’s previous work on education policy. It should appeal to those researching and studying in the fields of social policy, policy analysis, sociology of education, education research and social economics.
E-Book Content
Education plc
The pri vatisation of educa tion is contr oversial b ut is it ine vitable? How widespr ead is it? What does it mean f or educa tional pr actice? In Education plc , Stephen Ball pr ovides a compr ehensive, anal ytical and empirical account of the pri vatisation of educa tion. He questions the kind of futur e we want f or educa tion and w hat role pri vatisation and the pri vate sector ma y have in tha t futur e. Using policy sociolo gy to describe and criticall y anal yse changes in policy , policy technolo gies and policy r egimes, he looks a t the ethical and democr atic impacts of these changes and r aises the following questions: € € € € € €
Is ther e a legitimacy f or pri vatisation based on the con vergence of inter ests between business and the ‘thir d way’ state? Is the e xtent and v alue of pri vate participa tion in pub lic education misunderstood? Ho w is the selling of pri vate compan y services linked to the r emodelling of schools? Why have the technical and political issues of pri vatisation been consider ed but ethical issues almost totall y neglected? What is ha ppening her e, beyond mer e technical changes in the f or m of pub lic service delivery? Is educa tion policy being spok en by new voices?
Dr awing upon e xtensive documentary r esearch and intervie ws with senior e xecutives from the leading ‘educa tion services industry’ companies , the author challenges pr econceptions a bout pri vatisation. He concludes tha t blank et defence of the pub lic sector as it w as, over and a gainst the inr oads of pri vatisation, is untena ble and tha t ther e is no going back to a past in w hich the pub lic sector as a w hole worked well and worked fair ly in the inter ests of all learners , bec