Introduction to the special issue: Studying school choice in Canada

Abstract

Abstract:In this article, we introduce the special issue that illuminates issues in school choice and education marketization in contemporary Canada. We begin with a discussion of the proliferation of market models across the globe and the kind of questions that have arisen as public policymakers, philanthropists, and other private interests have embraced and advanced market-oriented reforms. Then we turn to Canada, and briefly discuss the scholarly literature on education privatization and school choice in the past two decades. After that, we present the five articles, highlighting how each piece contributes to a deeper understanding of the changing landscape of choice and competition, as Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 25 No. 37 SPECIAL ISSUE 2 well as how these changes impact schools and communities in a diverse, multicultural country. We conclude by discussing the importance of continuing empirical research in order to inform important debates about how to best meet the needs of the students in a democratic society. Keywords: school choice; education privatization; education marketization; Canada; democracy Una introducción a la edición especial: El estudio de opciones escolares en Canadá Resumen: En este artículo, presentamos una edición especial que ilumina los problemas con las opciones escolares y la mercantilización de la educación en Canadá hoy en día. Comenzamos con una discusión de la proliferación de los modelos del mercado en todo el mundo y el tipo de preguntas que han surgido a medida que los formuladores de pólizas públicas, filántropos y otros intereses privados han adoptado y avanzado reformas orientadas al mercado. Luego nos dirigimos a Canadá y discutimos brevemente la literatura académica sobre la privatización de la educación y las opciones escolares en las últimas dos décadas. A continuación, presentamos los cinco artículos, destacando cómo cada pieza contribuye a una comprensión más profunda del paisaje cambiante de las opciones escolares y la competencia, así tal como estos cambios impactan a las escuelas y las comunidades en un país diverso y multicultural. Concluimos discutiendo la importancia de continuar la investigación empírica para informar importantes discusiones sobre cómo satisfacer mejor las necesidades de los estudiantes en una sociedad democrática. Palabras-clave: opciones escolares; privatización de la educación; mercantilización de la educación; Canadá; democracia Uma introdução à dossier especial: O estudo da escolha da escola no Canadá Resumo: Neste artigo, apresentamos uma edição especial que ilumina os problemas com opções escolares e mercantilização da educação no Canadá hoje. Começamos com uma discussão sobre a proliferação de modelos no mercado mundial e no tipo de questões que têm surgido como formuladores de políticas públicas, filantropos e outros interesses privados adotaram reformas avançadas e orientadas para o mercado. Então, nós fomos para o Canadá e discutir brevemente a literatura acadêmica sobre a privatização de opções de educação e escola nas ú...

School Choice Research and Politics with Pierre Bourdieu: New Possibilities

“…ERIC defines school choice as “[i]ndividualized selection of public or private schools, alternative programs, or different school systems, sometimes made possible with little or no added financial cost through tax credits, vouchers, magnet schools, open enrollment, or other arrangements,” which include charter schools (ERIC Thesaurus, 2019). In this article, school choice refers to these diverse schooling options, although I also recognize that policies and practices can vary depending on the national or local contexts (Lubienski & Yoon, 2017). I further limited the key words to include only relevant school choice schemes, which resulted in 425 articles from 1981 to 2018.…”

Sociological Contributions to School Choice Policy and Politics Around the Globe: Introduction to the 2020 PEA Yearbook

“…For more than 25 years, school choice policies have gained momentum internationally as a popular reform option, supported by governments, reformers, and communities. Accordingly, the number of studies dedicated to understanding how these reforms unfold in public school systems around the globe is growing (e.g., Ball, 2012; Chakrabarti & Peterson, 2008; Forsey, Davies, & Walford, 2008; Fox & Buchanan, 2017; Lubienski & Yoon, 2017; Mehta, 2013; Ndimande & Lubienski, 2017; Powers, 2009; Verger, Fontdevila, & Zancajo, 2016). A key strand within this literature is studies that utilize sociological perspectives on school choice, especially after Stephen Ball and his colleagues’ ground-breaking work on the intersection of education markets, social class, and parental decision-making (see Ball & Vincent, 1998; Bowe, Ball, & Gold, 1992; Gewirtz, Ball, & Bowe, 1995).…”

Structure-reinforced privilege: educational inequality in the Singaporean primary school choice system

“…In examining the mechanisms by which school choice in countries around the globe leads to segregation (Adamson, Åstrand and Darling-Hammond 2016, Byun, Kim and Park 2012, Lubienski and Yoon 2017, research has turned to the role of parents who are the primary choosers for their child's education. Sociology of education researchers have long documented how child-rearing practices can further educational inequality.…”

“…Yet this shift from education as a right to a consumer good has shifted the relationship between parents, schools and states (Proctor et al 2020). In aggregate, studies of countries as varied as Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Korea and Sweden suggest that the impact of school choice has been increasing educational inequality and segregation (Adamson, Åstrand and Darling-Hammond 2016, Byun, Kim and Park 2012, Lubienski and Yoon 2017, Rowe and Lubienski 2017, Wu 2012).…”