The Destruction of Public Education under Neoliberalism: How the Privatization of Education Contributes to Inequality

Presenter

Eve Lyn Lescovitz

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Deepika Marya, Honors College, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 5, 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A94, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 5 (A81-A100) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

As a result of globalization and the spread of neoliberal ideology, free-market thinkers and international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, have pushed privatization to remedy failing public education systems around the world. In this thesis, I use two examples of privatization of education, one in Sub-Saharan Africa and the other in Chile, to discover if privatization improves the quality of education and how it further contributes to inequality. In my example from Africa, I examine Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria, where the construction of low-fee private schools still leaves millions of children unschooled and unable to afford a primary education. These new forms of education are worse quality, with unqualified teachers and unsafe conditions. In the case of Chile, a voucher system that directs public funding towards subsidies to attend private schools has resulted in major decreases in public school funding and enrollment, creating disparities in student test performance and future earnings. In order to prove alternatives of privatization successful, I investigate Finland, where their socialized education system produces the highest literacy rates and educational equity achievement in the world. By analyzing the lack of effectiveness of privatized solutions to unavailability of education, we can acknowledge that we must seek other solutions to create quality education, such as prioritizing more government funding for public education or possibly socializing education. By investigating how the privatization of education has contributed to inequality, we are able to further understand the deep lasting implications of globalization and neoliberal policies for low-income families across the globe.

Keywords

I am with a class on Debating Globalization with Deepika Marya, education, privatization, inequality , globalization

Research Area

Globalization and Development

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