The Erosion of the Public Good: The Implications of Neo-Liberalism for Education for Democracy

Abstract

This article describes the meaning, history and significance of the concept of the ‘public good’. It begins by theorising the ‘public good’ in relation to literature in the field, particularly Dewey. The public good is understood as an imagined and communal space in which goods valued by society become collectively owned and shared through respectful and open contestation and negotiation. The argument is then made that schools are both part of the public good as well as involved in the development of this concept in students, but that the ability of schools to do this is being damaged by new discourses. Current research and literature in the field of education is used to demonstrate how neo-liberal ideology is eroding this democratic idea. For example, neo-liberal ideology incorrectly positions all goods (including education) as private goods, with damaging consequences for society generally. Its controlling policies negatively affect the ability of schools to educate students about and for the public good, within a democratic conception of society. The article concludes with recommendations that aim to reinvigorate education for the and as a public good in schools. These recommendations are focused on teaching pedagogies.