Neoliberalism and Privatization Processes "In" Public Education in England and Spain

Abstract

Neoliberalism since the 1980s has impacted both national and international educational policy agendas with the aim of introducing competitive rationality within educational systems. To a large extent, these policies introduce mechanisms that put educational centers to work under pedagogical, management and governance forms similar to those of a company. Not surprisingly, the impact and depth of these reforms are related to the history, context, economy, and objectives of the political leaders in power at any given time. Therefore, we cannot speak of a neoliberalism, but of different neoliberalisms. This article develops a comparative and intertextual study on the impact of policies "on" privatization of education in England and Spain, with the aim of studying the recontextualization of these policies according to the executive in the government. In the case of England, privatization "in" education has achieved the goals of both the Conservative and Labor governments. In the Spanish case, competitive rationality has not broken into the political objectives of the political left with such force.