Reframing Education as a Public and Common Good

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 1-14

3. Different Interpretations of the Concept of Education As a Public Good in International Discourse

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 15-31

4. Education: A Private or Public Good?

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 33-50

5. A Changing Global Education Landscape: Growing Involvement of Non-State Actors

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 51-89

6. Reframing the Concept of Education As a Public Good

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 91-115

7. Education As a Common Good

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 117-147

8. Going Global: Education As a Global Common Good

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 149-170

9. Conclusion

   • Rita Locatelli

   Pages 171-183

10. Back Matter

    Pages 185-192

    PDF

This book examines the normative principles that guide the governance of education, in particular the notion of education as a public good. Determining whether this concept is still valid is a topic of growing importance, especially considering the phenomena of increasing privatisation and marketisation in the sector. The author posits that the prioritisation of economic aspects of education may lead to the weakening of the role of the State in ensuring equality of opportunity and social justice, and thus to a significant risk of considering education as merely a private, marketable good. 


The volume argues that considering education as a common good can lead to the strengthening of democratic and participatory approaches to educational governance, based on the recognition of education as a shared endeavour and responsibility. It will be of interest and value to students and scholars of education as a public good, social justice, and the wider neoliberalisation of the education sector.

• Education as a Public Good
• Education as a Common Good
• Education and the Community
• Education governance
• The concept of education
• Privatization of education
• Marketization of education
• Global education landscape

“This book is an engaging, stimulating read that addresses some of the fundamental challenges, both logistical and conceptual, to the realisation of democracy in education. Locatelli should be commended for wading through what is some very muddy discourse to present a conceptually rich, provocative and accessible text on the importance of rethinking education through a democratic imaginary.” (Andrew Wilkins, Journal of Education Policy, November 27, 2019) “Rita Locatelli has a brilliant understanding of education as a global common good. After the wreckage of society by market automata and the nativist assault on solidarity, our crucial task is to rebuild institutions based on community and recognition of our shared human and ecological destiny. The author brings education to the front of our thinking about civic democracy. Her book is also immensely readable. Strongly recommended!” (Professor Simon Marginson, University of Oxford, UK, and Director of the ESRC/OFSRE Centre for Global Higher Education)

“This book will become an essential resource for anyone interested in education governance. By drawing on a wide range of global examples, the author provides an in-depth and timely discussion around the idea of education as a public good.” (Rille Raaper, Durham University, UK)

“While much has been written on the growing global trend towards privatization, this book rightly situates a critique of that trend within a broader examination of the public and the common good. As is appropriate, confronting efforts to privatize education should be met with a consideration of the implications for the common good and, thankfully, Locatelli provides us with the necessary language, understanding, and global contextualization that is much needed towards those efforts.” (T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia, USA)

• International Research Centre on Global Citizenship Education, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

  Rita Locatelli

Rita Locatelli is a postdoctoral research fellow at the International Research Centre on Global Citizenship Education at the University of Bologna, Italy. 

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