The Privatisation of Education (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Privatisation of education

• Privatisation is where functions and services that were once provided by the state are transferred to private businesses, often intending to generate profit

  • In education, this means parts of the school system are run by private companies, often through contracts or partnerships with the state

• Examples of the privatisation of education include the following:

  • Academy chains: Many academies now belong to multi-academy trusts (MATs), which operate like business networks

  • Supply teachers: Schools increasingly use private recruitment agencies to hire supply teachers, which can be more costly and shift control away from local authorities

  • Private Finance Initiative (PFI): Under PFI, private firms build and maintain school buildings, while the public sector pays back long-term leases

  • Privately run testing and exams:

    • The Educational Testing Service (ETS), a U.S.-based company, was contracted to manage SATs exams for 11- and 14-year-olds

    • Some major exam boards (e.g., Pearson Edexcel) operate as for-profit businesses, selling qualifications, textbooks, and revision services

  • Educational software & edtech: Schools now rely on private platforms such as MyMaths, Google Classroom, and others to deliver digital learning, homework tracking, and data management

  • Ofsted inspection contracts: In 2013, inspection services were outsourced to three private contractors—Tribal, SERCO, and CfBT Education Trust—raising concerns about consistency and commercial motives

  • Commercial branding in schools:

    • Branded food and drink outlets (e.g., Costa, Subway) operate in some colleges and universities

    • Vending machines and branded sponsorships expose students to advertising within educational environments

Evaluation of the privatisation of education

• New Right perspective is efficiency and choice

  • New Right sociologists argue that state-run services are inefficient and wasteful

  • They claim private companies are more likely to deliver high-quality, cost-effective education

  • Privatisation is said to offer greater parental choice and the incentive to raise standards

• Education as a commodity

  • Critics argue that privatisation transforms education into something to be bought and sold, rather than a basic human right

  • This risks deepening social inequality, as the best educational opportunities may become unaffordable to working-class and disadvantaged families

  • Ball (2007) warns that this process leads to ‘education for profit’ rather than for public good

• Loss of accountability

  • Private providers are not directly accountable to the public in the way local authorities are

  • Decisions about school services, staffing, and curriculum may be driven by profit not student welfare or educational values

• Marxist perspective is expansion of neoliberal capitalism

  • Marxist sociologists view privatisation as part of a broader neoliberal ideology that aims to open up public sectors—like education and healthcare—for capitalist exploitation

  • They argue it benefits the middle class and private corporations while leaving working-class communities under-resourced

Globalisation of education

• Globalisation refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world through the flow of people, ideas, information, and economic activity across borders

• Technologies like the internet, air travel, and global media have made the world feel smaller and more integrated than ever before

Examples of global influence on UK education

• Curriculum & policy changes

  • A more multicultural curriculum has been developed to reflect the diversity of modern Britain and global society

  • Michael Gove claimed his curriculum reforms drew inspiration from high-performing countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Finland, focusing on knowledge-rich content

• Educational ideas from abroad

  • The concept of free schools in England was influenced by similar models in Sweden and the USA

  • The International Baccalaureate (IB) is increasingly offered as an alternative to A Levels, promoting global-mindedness and international standards

• Education as a global business

  • Ball (2012) notes that elite British schools and universities now market themselves globally, opening campuses abroad (e.g., in China, Singapore, Russia) and attracting international students

  • British exam boards (e.g., Edexcel, AQA, Cambridge) provide GCSEs, A Levels, and vocational qualifications to students in 160+ countries

• International student mobility

  • Many UK students are now choosing to study abroad in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and the USA, often due to lower tuition fees and courses taught in English

Evaluation of the globalisation of education

• Broader access to ideas and innovation

  • Globalisation encourages policy learning from successful education systems, promoting higher standards and better teaching practices

• Increased choice and cultural awareness

  • The rise of international qualifications (e.g., IB) and multicultural content supports global citizenship and awareness of diverse cultures

• Pressure to conform to economic priorities

  • Critics argue that education has become too economically focused, driven by the needs of global markets rather than holistic development or democratic citizenship

• Inequality in access

  • Global educational opportunities often favour middle- and upper-class students, who are more likely to access international schools, study abroad, or benefit from globalised resources