UK and American Educational Systems - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Therefore, it is not possible for education sector to escape from the effects of globalisation. A close examination of educational system of America proves that the impact of globalisation on the trends and developments of education sector is more evident here than in any other country. Even though the impact is more apparent in the United States, Latin America and Canada also have not escaped from the consequences. A comparison of American educational system with that of England will help to analyse the uniformity in the rate globalisation affecting the values, culture, politics and economic situation of world nations.
Public education plays a vital role in societies that respect democratic values and social equality. For those people who try to make their country more democratic and equitable, supporting public education is an essential part of their programme. Many social scientists in American states believe that globalisation, in its current form, is a threat to the public education system which supports and tries to reflect the democratic values and social equality.
The chief feature of neo-liberal policies is commoditisation and mercerisation of all the activities. (Kuehn 1999). So, when this neo-liberal policies peep into public services, the activities that are previously associated with the benefit of the public are moved into the market. On the application level, the services that are once given free of cost began to be charged. A remarkable change happened in the area of free education. Free education served the purpose of maintaining equality in the society. Free public education ensured that all children are educated without considering their socio-economic status. When the Universal Public education is lost, it will affect the equality. The globalisation policies not only reduced the expenditure for the public, it also mercerised the areas that were previously managed and supported by the government.
The effects of globalisation is still worse when it comes to a situation where any one can determine how education is delivered, what is the content of education, and who has the access to education. The new words like 'modernisation', 'efficiency', 'total quality', 'free market' etc., has changed the focus of educational system in the country. The education tried to form new kind of citizens with new perspectives. The above parameters are no longer applied to the workforce of the country, but it comprises the entire individuals of the society. The educational aims are made to fit to the new needs. International agencies like The World Bank, the IMF, and the IDB are trying to identify the different categories of workforce that are needed in the future job market, and the education is designed with this market demand. They aim at creating a "global policy community, constituted by an overlapping membership of globalising bureaucratssenior public servants, policy-makers and advisers" (Lingard & Rizvi 1998, P. 262). Now, the aim of education has contracted to limit human capacity to the possibilities of the market, instead of ensuring the all-round development of individuals. In other words, the training and preparation of the citizens will be based on the rules of the market. This will lead to exploitation ...Download file to see next pagesRead More