Watch Alexandra Draxler's video on NORRAG open-access book “The State, Business, and Education: Public-Private Partnerships Revisited”
In this podcast, Alexandra Draxler describes the unifying theme of NORRAG open-access book “The State, Business, and Education: Public-Private Partnerships Revisited”, edited with Gita Steiner-Khamsi, NORRAG Director and Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Graduate Institute. This edited volume illustrates the way in which the logic of private actors has come to blur the lines between public and private sectors and influence objectives and decision making about the purposes of education. Draxler explains how businesses are increasingly interested in expanding market opportunities in education by expanding their educational activities. Examples include private actors gaining policy influence in Brazil or fueling a narrative of failure of public education and lack of choice for parents in types of school available in the United States of America.
Draxler explains how new markets in education are explored, such as those provided by serving Syrian refugees in countries around Syria or gated communities in China. As Draxler clarified, this book examines how marketization has blurred the lines between the public and the private sector logics and discourses in order to make business seem like an attractive option for educational delivery. The book examines the advantages and unfavourable side effects of these trends, especially on the grassroots level.
Draxler concludes that human rights can be the best lens through which to assess market-based reforms, keeping in mind that all education has a lifelong impact on learners and that all learners have the right to a quality education.
How to read The State, Business, and Education: Public-private Partnerships Revisited:
Available online in Open Access at E. Elgar Online
Order a paperback or eBook copy at E.Elgar shop (production costs apply)
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