Globalization and the State-Education Relationship

educational terms,

evaluation, financing, assessment, standards, teacher training, curriculum, instruction, and testing

Some effects of globalization: The United States is the center of globalization trends – we drive most of the world’s economy, influence international policy, and financial transactions. The prime paradigm is capitalism – a faithful reliance on the market to drive decisions. Global forces like the World Bank promote decentralization and privatization.  Governments get out of the way, leave services to private groups. Inherent in capitalism is an unequal distribution of wealth. Having wealth generates more wealth, having no resources leaves countries at a severe disadvantage. Technology is one kind of resource and wealth. Countries that have technology, use it to develop new products, markets, ideas… and financial power.

What are globalization effects on Education (in the U.S.) Heightened competition between nations to develop an educated labor force; nations need a competitive niche. Education is seen as a mechanical process – develop basic skills, technical skills, competitive skills. Movements like standards and testing develop from this view of education. The cultural philosophy of capitalism, decentralization, and privatization manifest in strategies such as independent schools, charter schools, and vouchers. Higher education (colleges and universities) are more closely tied to the private sector – it is a necessary reality. Technology is seen as a key area for education, but how is technology important? View 1 -People trained directly in the hard sciences and technology fields contribute to those lucrative markets. View 2 – Information technologies impact how people work, play, gain information, and participate in communities. Those who can use IT to further their own aims win out, those without access or skills lose out in the new world.

The forces associated with such globalization (whether economic or social) have conditioned the context in which educators operate, and profoundly altered people's experience of both formal and informal education.

Schools and colleges have, for example, become sites for branding and the targets of corporate expansion.

forces of globalization also means that they should be a fundamental focus for education and learning -