cross roads, intersections, departure points: locating public and private projects in new education...

Cross Roads, Intersections, Departure Points: Locating Public and Private Projects

in New Education Governance Partnerships

Susan Robertson, University of Bristol, UK

Keynote Address to the GCES

Intersections of the Public and Private in the GCC, 16th March, 2011

Outline

Introduction Education – A Complex Social, Cultural and

Political ‘Cross Roads’ in Education –Mandates,

Governance, Distinction Partnerships - A Discourse for all Seasons Underlying Logics as a Meta-Language Who gets what in the education-society

contract?

Education – A Complex Social, Cultural and Political

Education is a unique and complex activity

A fundamental human rightShapes trajectories, locations, outcomesPart of the social contractChanges in governance of the sector

require strong questions and strong answers

‘Cross Roads’ in Education – Mandates, Governance, Distinction

Mandates for education – creating knowledge economies, services sectors and access for all

New governance challenges – the retreat of the state?

New forms of ‘distinction’

Partnerships - A Discourse for all Seasons

Exit ‘privatisation; enter ‘partnership’ talkShifts in dominant ideologyThe problem of trust and transaction

costs in ‘contracting’ The ‘good governance’ and global turnsThree partnership examples – the World

Bank, IFC and UNESCO

Underlying Logics as a Meta-Language for Multiple Grammars

Partnerships - a semantic umbrellaIssues of power and interestUnderlying logics to reveal meta-

language – from ‘management reforms’ to mimic the market to ‘cooperation and learning’

Who gets what?

The need for a normative frameworkThe need for an informed ‘middle

ground’ Beyond efficiencies to equity Public and private intersections that

make a social difference!

Thankyou

s.l.robertson@bristol.ac.uk