Impact of Globalization on

Educational Reform Initiatives and Practice

Karna Bahadur ChongbangMPhil in Education

First SemesterThirteenth Batch

What is Globalization?

• ‘Globalization’ in practice: trade link between human civilization centers, territorial expansion, Friedman’s three periods of globalization: Globalization 1(globalization of countries 1492-1800), Globalization 2(globalization of companies 1800-2000) and Globalization3 (globalization of individuals 2000-present)

• Development of term and as a field of study: By 1960s Economist/ Prof . Theodore Levitt of Harvard University coined and used the term ‘Globalization’ in marketing at the first time. The globalization studies arose by 1970s and emerged different theories, approaches and perspectives.

• Globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader out- look of an interconnected and interdependent world with free transfer of capital, goods and services across national frontiers.

• Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.

Theoretical perspectives of globalization

• Ontological and epistemological difference of scholars inexacting the complex societal phenomena is the responsiblefor the development of the several theoretical perspectivesand approaches in the field of globalization. The concept ofglobalization is fluid and there is constant process oftheorizing rather than accepting a single and an absolutetheory.

• Robinson(2007) however explores debates and theoreticaldiscourses of some competing globalization theoreticalperspectives:1. World-system theory: three tiers or regions likeCore(powerful and developed nations i.e. Western Europe,later North America), Periphery(subordinated to core,colonized or neo -colonized nations i.e. Asia, Africa, MiddleEast etc.) and Semi periphery( nations changed from core todown ward and from periphery to upward)

Cont..2. Theories of global capitalism: centrality of global economic

structure is main feature. Among the set of theories, ‘Theory of the global system’(Sklair 2000, 2002)

3. Theories of transnationality and transnationalism :Transnational capitalist class(TCC) emerged as the class group to manage these globalized circuits(Robinson 2007). This has led to the establishment of G7 , the world Trade Organization, the World Economic Forum which has signified to rise of supranational or global governance structure( inter alia, Held et. al. 1999, as cited in Robinson, 2007).

4. The network society approaches: technologic approach to globalization, new technological paradigm, informational capitalism, a new economy, networked interprises.

5. Theories of space and place: focused on cities, sites, geographical centers to connected for global activities like production, network, market etc led by New York, London and Tokyo.

Cont…..6. Modernistic theoretical approaches: universal modern norms of

organization, process of standerdization, global culture, global society, world polity etc. Globalization as the spread and ultimate universalization set of modern values, practices, and institutions through isomorphic(being identical/ similar), processes that operate on a global scale.

Educational institutions are singled out as central to the isomorphic transmission of culture and values that become global in scope.

Post modernistic theoretical approaches: local, diversity, difference, multiplicity, heterogeneity and argue that every local context involves its own appropriations and reworking of global products producing more variety and diversity.

7. Theories of global culture: three positions of global culture i.e. homogenization theory (uniform culture, global cultural convergence), heterogeneity approach( continued cultural difference, local cultural autonomy) and hybridization approach (new and constantly evolving cultural forms and identities).

Globalization and Education policy

• Globalization has developed concept of nation-states creating the ground of similarity, commonality and interdependency regarding social, political, cultural, economic, demographic, educational status, issues and challenges.

• Traditionally, nation- states developed their education policy in regards to what they saw as important to their nation. In another word, education policy was some time ago a mainly national affair.

• Within wider context of globalization, education is regarded now as an international commodity, playing a remarkable mission in global economy with investment in people, skills and knowledge.

• Education policy is a perspective, mission and commitment of a nation which determines national education system. Education policy now days is formed and implemented in a global context.

Paradigm shift in educational globalization

• At beginning , educational globalization emerged as an universalization and standerdization of education policy, plan and practice to meet global norm which revealed educational globalization as modernization. ‘Formation of Human Capital’, ‘Equal Opportunity in Education’, ‘Education for All’ are some of the catchy and popular global slogans.

• Socio-economic, cultural, physical, psychological, geographical context of an individual has been realized as a corner stone of the education policy which led educational globalization into the diversity in policies, plans and practices like Equity in Education, Social Justice in Education, Inclusive Education, Special Education, Open School Education, Open Distance Learning, Online Learning which are compatible with post modernity.

Global Conferences on Education• The Washington Consensus(1980-1990)

The Washington Consensus focused restructuring economic policies for the low-income countries

like Mexico and developing countries. Some of them were unable to repay the loan of IMF.

Robertson et al. say that education systems of developing countries had been affected by the Washington Consensus policies. It is argued that the influence of internal organizations on education policy of these countries had increased noticeably during this era.

Cont…..• The post- Washington Consensus(1990-2005)

The Washington Consensus was criticized for its failure to ensure social cohesion and stability for the low income countries. The criticism led to the development of Macro policy framework focusing on good governance.The post Washington Consensus concentrated its policies to help developing countries through : increasing living standard (more improvement in education and health), achieving sustainable development and bringing equitable and democratic development. These have been developed on the conceptual background of social capital.

As effects of the Post Washington Consensus, there is increase in the number of NGOs to help in education sector and human right organizations to function as watch dog to ensure the enjoyment of human right in education as well as in other sectors.

Cont…• World Conferences and Meetings on Education For All

Education For All is global movement led by UNESCO, aiming to meet learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.

Jomtien Conference (Jomtien, Thailand,1990) committed to improve education by 2000,

Amman meeting( Amman, Jordan,1996)

Mid-Decade Meeting of the International Consultative Forum on Education For All was held to assess the advances made since the Jomtien Conference evaluated the progress and found progress in education,

World Education Forum/ Dakar Meeting( Dakar, Senegal,2000)

The international community met at the forum to evaluate the implementation of EFA commitments in1990. the forum concluded that countries were far from having reached the goals. The Dakar Framework for Action, Education for All : Meeting Our collective Commitments was the commitment made by the participants.

Cont….

Kathmandu Meeting(2001) The Ministers of Education of the SAARC evaluated the condition of EFA in the region.Global Education Forum-2015/ EFA beyond 2015 or post-2015 Which will be taking place in Incheon, South Korea.Millennium Development GoalsThe Millennium Summit of the United Nations declared international goals as The United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000.The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals to be achieved by 2015. Among the goals , two goals are directly related to education and its policy.

Goal 2: achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Conceptual and Perspectival Changes in Education

• The central concepts to be redefined and to be rethought due to the impact of globalization are neo-liberalism, the state, restructuring, reform, management, feminism, identity, citizenship, community, multiculturalism, new social movement, popular culture and local which change relations, practices and the institutional arrangements (Burbules & Torres, 2000).

• The origins, nature and dynamics of the process of globalization are a focus for concern of educational philosophers, sociologists, curriculum workers, teachers, policy makers, politicians, parents and many others involved with educational endeavors(Burbules & Torres, 2000).

Cont….

• Cheng(2000) has proposed Triplization Process( Triple+ ization) as a new paradigm shift in education for this millennium which includes globalization, localization and individualization as unavoidable processes . It is necessary in re-conceptualizing educational processes and formulating the new pedagogic methods and environment for students’ life long learning and development of contextualized multiple intelligence (CMI) rather than general knowledge(GK) that includes technological intelligence, political intelligence, social intelligence, cultural intelligence, economic intelligence and learning intelligence and emotional intelligence as well.

Cont… Cheng’s Triplization Process

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Technological Globalization

SocialGlobali-

zationLearningGlobali-zation

PoliticalGlobalization

Economic Globalization

CulturalGlobaliz-ation

Localization

Localization

Locali-zationLocali-

zation

Locali-zation

Locali-zation

Individua-lization

Individ-ualization

Indivi-dualiza-

tion

Individ-ualization

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PI

EI

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SI

EI

Education Reform initiatives and practicesThe analysts see educational reform initiatives and practices as restructuring of the education.

• Mundy(2002) observes the impact of globalization on education as

‘Sharply curtailed the role for government in educational provision’, ‘commitment to decentralization, cost-recovery and privatization in higher education,’ ‘increased attention to productive inputs like textbook,’ ‘a movement out of technical and vocational education’.

• Al’ Abri(2011) claims that World Bank had two policy preferences : to decentralize education and to privatize schooling in developing countries.

• The globalizing agencies of education like UNESO, World Bank have attempted to restructure the education policies in terms of the ten themes. They are: human capital, budgetary decision, costing education, educational objectives, educational outcomes, education system, global/local context , investment, management, and teacher(Vongalis-Macrow, 2009).

Cont…• Carnoy(1990) finds three forms of impact of

globalization on educational reform initiatives/strategies.

Competitiveness-driven reforms:- improvement of economic activities by improving the ‘quality of labour’, ‘human capital’.Four types of reforms:

Decentralization, Standards(established centre authority),Improved management of educational

resourcesImproved teacher recruitment and training

Cont…Finance-driven reforms:

-reduction of public funding on education Three types of reforms:

Shifting public funding from higher to lower levels of educationPrivatization of secondary and higher educationThe reduction of cost per student at all schooling levels(high yield at low cost)

Equity-driven reform:- to increase equality of economic opportunityMain reforms in developing countries:

To reach the lowest- income groups with high-quality basic education i.e. large number of youths and adults.To reach certain group i.e. woman, rural population etc.To reach the people at risk and special needs students

Education reform program in Nepal based on

global commitment• The experiences gained through implementation of Education For All(EFA-

2004-2009), Secondary Education Support Program(SESP), Teacher Education Project(TEP), Food For Education, School Sector Reform Plan(SSRP)-2009-2015 has been implemented to meet the gooals and strategies put forward by Dakar Conference-2000 related to EFA and United Nations’ Summit for Millennium Development Goals -2000.Reform sectorsSchool structure: Basic Education Grade 1-8 and Secondary Education Grade 9-12, technical and vocational secondary education streamGovernance and management: empowerment of education governance and management.Access and quality: free basic education, no admission fee, no tuition fee, no examination fee, and free of cost text book.provision of national norms and standards, learner responsive classroom pedagogy.Gender and inclusion: Gender and dalits responsive school, multiple inclusion etc.Capacity building: institutional, organizational, and individual levels.

Cont….• Tribhuvan University of Nepal has been practicing the policies of

the World Bank.• Since 1980s, educational response to globalization as a part the

wider democratization movement is dominated by the discourse on decentralization, community participation and ownership familiarizing the terms cost –effectiveness, cost sharing, performance based funding, competitiveness and marketibility.

• World Bank has been trying to decentralize higher education institutions since 1980s.

• Second Higher Education Project(2007) intrduced by World Bank stes, ‘Despite strong resistance from some stakeholders, HEP I was able to introduce decentralization in TU’s Engineering Campus by offering decentralization as an option.’

• The World Bank’s term ‘Quality’ is meant as ‘semester’ or ‘pass rate’.

• Role of World in higher education reform as decentralization and ultimately privatization.

• The campuses under TU have been motivated to decentralize and move towards autonomy.

Means of Educational Globalization

• Globalized information communication technology like Internet

• International agencies, supranational organizations and their policies (policies and activities of World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, UNO, EU, G-7, DANIDA, UNICEF etc.)

• Personal agencies

• Artificial satellites

Criticisms

• Globalization losers’ perspective (in the field of work force)

• Western hegemony(in terms of knowledge, politics, culture, power, technology etc.)( in the field of education and social sciences)

• Colonialism or neo-colonialism( in the fields of politics and culture)

• Americanization( in the field of technology and culture)

reflection

• Nationally decentralization, globally centralization

• Geographically and physically localization, symbolically globalization

• We are the well globalized personal agencies and globalizing personal agencies as well in terms of formal knowledge and education.

Bibliography

• Anonymous(n,d). Education For All. Rereived from http://en.wikipdia.org/wiki/Education_For_All

• Carnoy, M(1990). Globalization and educational reform: what planners need to know. Fundamentals of educational planning, UNESCO Paris: International Institute for Educatinal Planning, http://unesco.amu.edu.pl/pdf/Canoy.pdf Retrieved on July 14, 2014.

• Cheng, Y. C.(2002). Fosring local knowledge and wisdom in globalized education: Multiple theories. Centre for Research and International Collaboration, Hong Kong Institute of Education. Retrieved from http://www.ied.edu.hk/cric/

• Robinson, W.I.( 2007). Theories of globalization. pp. 125-143. Retrieved from http:

• Vongalis-Macrow, A.(2009). The simplicity of educational reform : Defining globalization and reframing educational policies during the 1990s. International journal of educational policies. Vol.3(2)pp.62-80. http://ijep.icpres.org2009/v3n2/avmacrow.pdf Retrieved on July 14, 2014.

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