The globalisation of educational policy

What caused the shift towards marketisation/privatisation?

A western shift towards the far right via neoliberal leaders like Reagan and Thatcher

How has international comparison influenced educational policy domestically?

Surveys such as the programme for international student assessment (PISA) directly compare education systems across the world as there is a pressure to perform well on the world stage.

How does Alexander evaluate the impact of international comparison?

He calls it a “PISA panic” that promotes importing policies from top performing countries without evaluating how well they will mesh into British society.

How was British teacher training altered in 2012 thanks to globalisation?

The qualification floor was raised based on Finnish standards.

what are the pros of international comparison? (2)

Useful to evaluate spending vs. achievement

Gives lots of data for policymakers to work with

What are the negatives of international comparison? (3)

PISA only assesses exam scores and ignores other factors such as wellbeing

Test results can be unreliable as evidence

It can damage UK educational policy as what works for one country may not work for us