Privatization in education

Abstract

The private/public divide in education has been with us for a long time, but only recently have we been alerted to the privatization of education. This means two things: first, making public education increasingly dependent on private funds, and, second, encouraging the development of private education by supporting it with public funds. The consequences of this are explored, but above all the paper challenges the ways in which we have traditionally drawn the distinction between public and private responsibilities. There is a need to re‐conceptualize the problem. In doing so, the paper raises underlying ethical and social issues which otherwise get ignored or dismissed. Above all, however, the need to tackle the issues is demonstrated, but as a consequence of privatization, the public sector of education becomes an impoverished substitute for what cannot be bought.