Globalisation

• Economic globalisation

  • The globalisation of trade, production and consumption. Most of what we consume in the UK is produced and manufactured abroad through TNCs eg. Shell
  • Most of these jobs have left the UK due to globalisation as they have moved abroad
• Cultural globalisation

  • Refers to the increasingly rapid spread of ideas and values around the globe brought about by the use of ICT - we are all interconnected 24/7
  • This includes the spread of fashion, music and consumer products as well as political and religious ideas
• Increasing migration

  • More people moving around the globe - can be voluntarily for work or involuntary as is the case for refugees from conflicts or climate disasters
  • As a result of this, the UK is a much more multicutural society than the 1950s
• Consequences - increased competition for jobs abroad

  • New Labour government increased spending on education in order to try and give children skills to make them more competitive in a global labour market
  • Wanted 50% of children to enter higher education, although this was never achieved
  • Current government want to reduce university numbers and increase apprenticeships
  • PM Gordon Brown - UK had entered a 'global skills race' and needed to outsmart other national economies
• Consequences - establishment of global ICT companies

  • Google and Apple are now involved in writing curriculums and online learning materials (Classroom and Gmail) for various governments around the world
  • Education is increasingly shaped by TNCs who make a profit out of providing these services to the government
  • Pearson Edexcel exam board
  • 1st policy - assimilation - original views on migration eg. Windrush
  • 2nd policy - multicultural - current views on migration
• Consequences - increased migration leads to more multicultural education

  • All schools teach about the 'six world religions' in RE and we have many faith schools in the UK serving Muslim and Jewish students
  • BPAP = black pupils achievement project
  • EVALUATION - Ball Little Englandism
• Consequences - challenging relevance of a 'National Curriculum'

  • What is the place of this curriculum if we live in an increasingly global culture?
  • Challenges the type of history and literature we should be teaching
• Consequences - growth of global ICT companies and global media

  • Challenges the authority of traditional schooling and possibly teachers
  • What role does the school play when you can get all your information for free on YouTube etc?
  • EVALUATION - social media is manipulated by foreign governments and online learning is not always reliable due to digital deprivation
• Consequences - global league tables

  • PISA provides education rankings based on international tests taken by 15 year olds in maths, reading and science
  • Taken every 3 years and have become increasingly influential on politicians who see their countries and their policies being measured against them
  • UK has remained in the middle with Singapore rated at the top and most high places being taken by Asian education systems
  • UK has been less successful than some other countries in raising the achievement of the economically disadvantaged - hit by COVID and finding it hard to catch up
• Consequences - global education market

  • UK universities, educational publishers and others now seek a global market
  • Although there has been progress towards the Millennium development goal of primary education for all, many children are still not in school in LICs due to poor quality resources and teaching
  • There has also been a reaction against Western style education in some countries eg. in Afghanistan, the Taliban are trying to prevent the education of girls
  • The current government have made it more difficult for international students to study in the UK by increasing tuition fees
• What is the cola-isation of schools?

  • Ball says the private sector increasingly penetrates schools through the use of vending machines and the development of brand loyalty through logos and sponsorships
  • EVALUATION - According to Ball, a Cadbury's sports equipment promotion was scrapped after 5,440 chocolate bars would have to be eaten for a set of volleyball posts
• Conceptualizing Cosmopolitanism - Beardsmore

  • A belief that all humans belong in a singular society and that humanity should strive to achieve this - cosmopolitanism celebrates diversity
  • Synonymous with the concept of Global Citizenship
  • Education teaches students to become 'Cosmopolitan Citizens'
• Social critique of Cosmopolitanism

  • The ideal citizen is one that has a high level of social class according to Bordieu. Establishing a 'Global Habitus'
  • Designed to promote and enhance global consumerism and commodity fetishism
  • In practice, the cultures that are seen as 'lesser' often lose their cultural influence in their own societies