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Privatisation Of Education In Canada: A Survey Of Trends

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Abstract

The construct of ‘neo-liberalism’ well defines privatisation within a global convergence of educational policy discourses and practices. This study analyses initiatives for and processes of privatisation in Canadian education from K–12 to post-secondary levels. In considering how privatisation is affecting public education systems in Canada, the authors focus on the commodification and marketisation of education. They also examine issues of equity and the viability of universally accessible and publicly funded education systems. Finally, the study highlights two main interrelated trends: the intrusion of market discourse into education at all levels on one hand and on the other a growing tension between contrasting conceptions of education as a tradable commodity and as a social right.

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  1. Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, 1137 Western Road, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 1G7

    Adam Davidson-Harden & Suzanne Majhanovich

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  1. Adam Davidson-Harden
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  2. Suzanne Majhanovich
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Correspondence to Adam Davidson-Harden.

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Davidson-Harden, A., Majhanovich, S. Privatisation Of Education In Canada: A Survey Of Trends. Int Rev Educ 50, 263–287 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-004-2623-5

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