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Capitalism and neoliberalism are economic systems that have shaped the modern world in significant ways. While capitalism emphasizes free markets and individualism, neoliberalism builds upon these principles with a focus on limited government intervention and free trade.
Capitalism and Neoliberalism. The role of education in a capitalist society is to reproduce social and economic inequities. Capitalism is perpetuated by redirecting attention away from larger structural issues by blaming individuals for perceived failings.
Jun 29, 2017 · In this paper, I reflect on some aspects of this history of capitalism and education, focusing mainly on the neoliberal era. I begin, however, by looking at an earlier period which established two underlying refrains of the neoliberal era: schools are failures, and it is the fault of teachers.
- Steven J Klees
- 2020
- Neoliberalism in Education: Definition and Overview
- Benefits of Neoliberalism in Education
- Criticisms of Neoliberalism in Education
- Conclusion
- References
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 (Ball, 2016). Numerical data is used to determine student success or failure which disregards qualitative factors such as c...
1. Competition
Neoliberalism encourages schools to compete against each other to be the best. Often, this is done by providing financial incentives to schools that get the highest grades in standardized tests. The benefits of competition in education are many. First, it provides an incentive for schoolsand teachers to perform at a high level, given that they have to compete with other educational institutions for students (Ingleby, 2021). This can lead to infrastructure improvements, better quality teaching...
2. Efficiency
Neoliberalism can lead to increased efficiency in education because it pushes schools and teachers to keep trying to keep up with other schools in their region. To do this, they need to ‘cut the fat’. For example, neoliberal competition encourages schools and institutions to focus on improving their results through data-driven assessments, which can help identify areas of academic weakness for students (Angus, 2015; Savage, 2017). This data-based approach can show schools exactly where they’r...
3. Choice
The neoliberal education paradigm aims to turn education into a marketplace where parents act as consumers shopping for the best school for their child. For example, some states in the USA now allow students the opportunity to enroll in charter schools, and parents are given school vouchers so they can shop around for the school (Brathwaite, 2017). This model forces public schoolsmust adapt and offer more competitive programs to attract student enrollment. This helps parents choose the right...
1. Inequality
Neoliberalism perpetuates educational inequalities by prioritizing market-based solutions over and above the common good. Often, free market policies allow the advantaged to get ahead while marginalizing the disadvantaged. For example, neoliberalism enforces competition among schools, making low-performing public schools less attractive. As a result, parents who can afford it choose to enroll their children in private institutions or better performing charter schools instead. Families from lo...
2. Stress and Burnout
Neoliberalism in education can lead to stress and burnout among students and teachers as it elevates high-stakes competitive standardized testsas the key markers of success. The constant pressure to perform based on standardized test scores can cause anxiety for students, leading to stress-related illnesses and a compromised mental health state. At the same time, the learning experiencebecomes monotonous with no space left for creativity (Ball, 2016). Furthermore, teachers can experience stre...
3. Short-Sighted Teaching is Encouraged
Teachers are incentivized to focus their teaching entirely on getting top grades in standardized tests (Ball, 2016). To win in the tests is everything to a neoliberal school, because the test score is how consumers (that is, parents) rank and compare schools. The highest-performing schools can charge higher prices, while lowest-performing schools (generally with the least advantaged students) are unable to command the high prices they actually need to bridge the gap between the advantaged and...
Neoliberalism has become firmly established in western education systems, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. While proponents argue that it can lead to higher standards by incentivizing schools to compete to be the best, detractors claim it’s been extremely harmful for social equality.
Angus, L. (2015). School choice: Neoliberal education policy and imagined futures. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 36(3), 395-413. Ball, S. J. (2016). Neoliberal education? Confronting the slouching beast. Policy Futures in Education, 14(8), 1046-1059. Brathwaite, J. (2017). Neoliberal education reform and the perpetuation of inequality....
May 14, 2018 · According to Ball (2016), neoliberalism has significantly altered the culture of the education profession (if there is such a thing) with a focus on measurable skills and outputs, altering the nature and purpose of education.
- Andrew Gibbons
- 2018
neoliberal neoclassical economics discourse took over, which argued that capitalism was both efficient and equitable, that problems were generally minor, and that the culprit of any problems was too much government interference.
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May 1, 2007 · The discourses and practices of neoliberalism, including government policies for education and training, public debates regarding standards and changed funding regimes, have been at work on and...
