The Retreat from Public Education

This book provides a critical analysis of the implementation of market ideology and practices in education. The social and educational consequences of the most characteristic market-practices, such as parental choice and the involvement in schools of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, are examined via the prism of both modern democratic theory and the discourse of rights. It is argued that current social forces, such as globalization and the preeminence of postmodern and multicultural ideologies, changed both the role of government and of citizens in democracy, paving the road for the introduction of markets in all public spheres. The book examines the Israeli case-study of the rise and decline of public schooling, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate the centrality of public schools in the process of nation-building and the erection of democracy. The conclusion is that markets in education defy the democratic purposes of public schools, and violate children's right to quality education.