The Globalisation of School Choice?

by Martin Forsey (Editor)

'Which school should I choose for my child?' For many parents, this question is one of the most important of their lives. 'School choice' is a slogan being voiced around the globe, conjuring images of a marketplace with an abundance of educational options. Those promoting educational choice also promise equality, social advantage, autonomy, and self-expression to families. But what does this globalisation of school choice actually look like on the ground? This collection brings together educationalists, anthropologists, and sociologists who use a rich array of empirical data to understand the complex realities of school choice across a range of political and social in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, England, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Tanzania, and the United States. Together they show that, while the language of school choice has spread globally, it has done so unevenly across and within nations, and is always interpreted through local social and historical contexts. Neo-liberal policy initiatives are re-shaping education systems in many nations, but in complex and varied ways. This collection shows that rather than eliminating equity concerns, they re-embed them within new frameworks of choice and accountability. This is an important book for those interested in comparative education, as well as the sociology and politics of schooling.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Martin Forsey, Scott Davies & Geoffrey Walford. The Globalisation of School Choice? An Introduction to Key Issues and Concerns
Christopher Lubienski. School Choice Research in the United States and Why It Doesn't the evolving economy of knowledge production in a contested policy domain
Scott Davies & Janice D. Aurini. School Choice as Concerted the case of Canada
Martin Forsey. No Choice but to selecting schools in Western Australia
Geoffrey Walford. School Choice in globalisation, policy borrowing or policy corruption?
Izhar Oplatka. The Introduction of Controlled School Choice in Tel Aviv, an attempt to attain a balance between integration and pluralism
Mariano Narodowski. School Choice and Quasi-State Monopoly in Education Systems in Latin the case of Argentina
Kristin D. Phillips & Amy Stambach. Cultivating the invisible hands of educational opportunity in Tanzania
Andrew Kipnis. Competition, Audit, Scientism and School Non-Choice in Rural China
Prachi Srivastava. School Choice in disadvantaged groups and low-fee private schools
Lesley Vidovich & Yap Meen Sheng. Global-Local Dynamics in Expanding School Choice in Singapore
Julian Dierkes. Japanese Shadow the consequences of school choice
Notes on Contributors

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008