The Globalisation of School Choice? (Oxford Studies in Comparative Education)

'Which school should I choose for my child?' For many parents, this question is one of the most important of their lives. 'School choice' is a slogan being voiced around the globe, conjuring images of a marketplace with an abundance of educational options. Those promoting educational choice also promise equality, social advantage, autonomy, and self-expression to families. But what does this globalisation of school choice actually look like on the ground? This collection brings together educationalists, anthropologists, and sociologists who use a rich array of empirical data to understand the complex realities of school choice across a range of political and social settings: in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, England, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Tanzania, and the United States. Together they show that, while the language of school choice has spread globally, it has done so unevenly across and within nations, and is always interpreted through local social and historical contexts. Neo-liberal policy initiatives are re-shaping education systems in many nations, but in complex and varied ways. This collection shows that rather than eliminating equity concerns, they re-embed them within new frameworks of choice and accountability. This is an important book for those interested in comparative education, as well as the sociology and politics of schooling. CONTENTS Acknowledgements Martin Forsey, Scott Davies & Geoffrey Walford. The Globalisation of School Choice? An Introduction to Key Issues and Concerns Christopher Lubienski. School Choice Research in the United States and Why It Doesn't Matter: the evolving economy of knowledge production in a contested policy domain Scott Davies & Janice D. Aurini. School Choice as Concerted Cultivation: the case of Canada Martin Forsey. No Choice but to Choose: selecting schools in Western Australia Geoffrey Walford. School Choice in England: globalisation, policy borrowing or policy corruption? Izhar Oplatka. The Introduction of Controlled School Choice in Tel Aviv, Israel: an attempt to attain a balance between integration and pluralism Mariano Narodowski. School Choice and Quasi-State Monopoly in Education Systems in Latin America: the case of Argentina Kristin D. Phillips & Amy Stambach. Cultivating Choice: the invisible hands of educational opportunity in Tanzania Andrew Kipnis. Competition, Audit, Scientism and School Non-Choice in Rural China Prachi Srivastava. School Choice in India: disadvantaged groups and low-fee private schools Lesley Vidovich & Yap Meen Sheng. Global-Local Dynamics in Expanding School Choice in Singapore Julian Dierkes. Japanese Shadow Education: the consequences of school choice Notes on Contributors