(Micro)soft power in Dutch public education: making classrooms platform-ready through partner work

Abstract

This article explores how the global technology company Microsoft, supported by local partners, makes Dutch classrooms platform-ready by influencing how schools approach three key public governance responsibilities in their digital transformation: developing a vision for digital education, creating strategies for educational innovation and fostering digital literacy. Using the concept of soft power and extensive empirical research, the study shows how Microsoft aligns these responsibilities with its own corporate interests. As a result, the company gains control over schools’ digital infrastructure–not only in terms of hardware and software but also in terms of its pedagogical design. The conclusion emphasises the importance of collective and collaborative national efforts to resist the global influence of platforms like Microsoft on local digital education.