Neoliberalism in Education
Neoliberalism is a term that is upsetting to most people who truly understand it. In case you may be short of a comprehensive definition of it, neoliberalism refers to a set of policies that seek to benefit a few people while pushing the majority to abject poverty. The policies aim at widening the gap between the poor and the rich so that the rich can continue to garner more wealth while the poor keep suffering. Neoliberalism eliminates the role of the government in providing essential services like education, healthcare among several others so that each person is left to take responsibility for their needs.
Even though some may think that neoliberalism in education is just an ideology that is non-existent, it is real and its impacts are indeed dire. Neoliberalism in education ensures that the role of the government in providing education to its people is removed so that every individual is left to cater for their education needs in their own ways. Considering the high cost of education, this creates an unenlightened society that is filled with so many illiterates.
Neoliberalism in education can be implemented in so many ways but mainly involves cutting government spending on education. This results into a situation whereby the government does not employ more teachers and commit a series of faults in payment of the existing ones. Besides, it ensures that construction of educational facilities and provision of the much needed education materials like books by the government is not executed as required. As a result of this, many children fail to go to school and another huge number that may have begun their education are forced to drop out.
As the population continues to grow, there is need for the construction of schools to cater for the young. However, neoliberalism does not take this into account. Instead, it comes up with a set of economic and social policies to make sure that the majority does not have access to quality education. These policies can be imposed in so many ways. One of them is raising the school fees so that only a few with economic muscles are able to acquire quality education. As a result of this, the focus is shifted towards privately-owned schools where the fees are always at a record high.
In most countries, it is stipulated that students in higher education are to be offered financial aid in the form of loans by the government. In countries where neoliberalism in education exists, such forms of funding are withdrawn or significantly reduced. This leaves many students in desperation such that quite a number are forced to drop out. The aim is to ensure that only those who can afford to pay for their education remain in school. Those who are unable to afford the fees are left at their own mercies.
Neoliberalism in education ensures that the quality of education in public institutions is lowered at the expense of privately owned ones. It makes education very expensive for the poor such that only the rich who are very few in numbers are able to access it.
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Reference
http://www.salon.com/2013/10/09/6_ways_neoliberal_education_reform_is_destroying_our_college_system_partner/