Educational policy planning and globalisation

Abstract

These observations on policy and planning against the backdrop of globalisation are made from the perspective of a large, high population, developing country with considerable human resources and a federal democratic polity trying to liberalise its economy. Whether in the realms of products, ideas, culture or media, one notices two concurrent but opposing streams — homoegenisation and particularisation. This paradox is of great relevance while discussing the impact of globalisation on the policies as well as content and process of education. It is now universally accepted that during the stabilisation phase of structural adjustment, effective policies should be put in place to protect public expenditure on basic services, such as primary education, as an integral part, rather than ex-post. As the economics of education is not considered central to the discipline in the way trade or macroeconomics is, education is not part of the reform package. The increasing and multiple demands on education accentuate the policy-maker's dilemma, particularly in developing countries where the climate is of fiscal austerity, to find resources for education and ensure their optimal allocation among different stages of education. The stylised models postulating priorities with reference to levels of education development are no more relevant than deterministic theories of stages of growth. While alternatives to public funding can contribute significantly, education would continue to be heavily dependent on public exchequer. Financing policy should, therefore, encompass a mixture of reinforced and consistent measures to mobilise resources from multiple sources and simultaneously enhance the efficiency of resource use. Multiplicity, however, casts a heavy burden on the policy-maker. Economic analysis, an essential component of policy planning, often gives little guidance on policy implementation. It needs to be complemented by a sensitivity to the institutional and political settings which constrain policy choices and condition policy processes, and to the tensions inherent in steering the system towards the desired goals of policy changes. Education systems the world over are engulfed in crisis, but one which lacks immediacy and high visibility. Policy leadership lies in scanning the continuously changing environment, identifying the targets of opportunity to get the system do what is right, building a coalition of relevant groups, setting choices that minimise foot-dragging by the unenthusiastic and subversion by the opposed and continuing to retain leeway so that uncertainties are clarified over a period of time. The management of change thus is a process of iterative negotiations and the events are a result of the interplay of conflict and compromise among diverse interests. The outcomes are indeterminate and at variance to what is envisaged. Consequently, monitoring and evaluation need to have a bifocal vision, both longitudinal and cross-sectional, for assessing a process that is essentially probabilistic. It cannot rely on simplistic models of policy formulation and objectively verifiable indicators. In the area of basic education, there is agreement on what the goals should be and what the ideal strategies are. While what needs to be done is clear, how, or much of how, is not. Concepts like capacity building, process projects and participation are not self-executing. For implementing these essential strategies the antagonistic cooperation of a host of actors and modifications of the standard operating procedures of many organisations is called for. Different layers of government, teachers and teacher unions, resource organisations, NGOs and activists have important roles to play and have to be brought on board. The challenge in implementation lies in mastering the logistics of bringing the resources and actors together and of deploying them to achieve agreed goals. Though not recognised, negotiations are at the heart of most of these processes. In policy planning as well as implementation the task of combining the strategic vision with tactical decisions and responses to the emerging situation is formidable.