Page 122 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 1-2: The Language of Neoliberal Education, ed. Mitja Sardoč
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šolsko polje, letnik xxix, številka 1–2
important role. However, 88% of policy makers and 96% of experts in the
study (Štremfel, 2013) agreed that evidence-based education policymak-
ing is not well developed in Slovenian educational space (meaning that
Slovenian education policies and practices are not based on expert data).
Additionally, 63% of policy makers, 81% of experts and 84% of stakehold-
ers participating in the study agreed with the statement ‘International
comparative assessment studies in Slovenia are often used for as an argu-
ment for politically motivated changes in the field of education’. In or-
der to overcome such shortcomings in the development and use of the
evidence-based policy making in Slovenia, the Ministry of Education,
Science and Sport (2017) has been establishing new comprehensive mod-
el for identifying and ensuring quality in the field of education. The new
model, among other aims, plans to more systematically use the results of
national research and international comparative assessment studies re-
sults in the development of Slovenian educational policies and practic-
es. These endeavours could be understood as a desire to enhance national
trustworthiness of the system and the strengthening of its international
legitimacy (Chankseliani and Silova, 2018).
Conclusions
This article has attempted to demonstrate the role the EU (neoliberal) dis-
course plays in the Europeanization of the (post-socialist) national edu-
cational space. From that purpose, the logic behind EU neoliberal edu-
cational governance has been introduced. The way it influences national
educational spaces has been theoreticized by using a discursive institu-
tionalism approach. The reception of neoliberal discourse in Slovenia as a
post-socialist EU member state has been explained by providing empirical
examples and their theoretical underpinnings.
Analysed data reveals the relative openness of Slovenia towards the
EU (neoliberal) educational discourse. This have been explained by inter-
relation of various factors, including a) the design of EU neoliberal edu-
cational governance as governance of goals, comparisons, problems/cri-
sis; b) strong communicative and persuasive discourse (e.g. accountability,
inevitability) used by European Commission for steering member states
towards commonly agreed goals (coordinative discourse); c) the desire of
Slovenia as new post-socialist state to comply with Western norms and d)
national institutional context and specific institutional settings (as exter-
nal factors which created a receptive environment for new neoliberal ide-
as). As such, this article contributes a small but, in light of the lack of em-
pirical studies in the field, important understanding of the role neoliberal
120
important role. However, 88% of policy makers and 96% of experts in the
study (Štremfel, 2013) agreed that evidence-based education policymak-
ing is not well developed in Slovenian educational space (meaning that
Slovenian education policies and practices are not based on expert data).
Additionally, 63% of policy makers, 81% of experts and 84% of stakehold-
ers participating in the study agreed with the statement ‘International
comparative assessment studies in Slovenia are often used for as an argu-
ment for politically motivated changes in the field of education’. In or-
der to overcome such shortcomings in the development and use of the
evidence-based policy making in Slovenia, the Ministry of Education,
Science and Sport (2017) has been establishing new comprehensive mod-
el for identifying and ensuring quality in the field of education. The new
model, among other aims, plans to more systematically use the results of
national research and international comparative assessment studies re-
sults in the development of Slovenian educational policies and practic-
es. These endeavours could be understood as a desire to enhance national
trustworthiness of the system and the strengthening of its international
legitimacy (Chankseliani and Silova, 2018).
Conclusions
This article has attempted to demonstrate the role the EU (neoliberal) dis-
course plays in the Europeanization of the (post-socialist) national edu-
cational space. From that purpose, the logic behind EU neoliberal edu-
cational governance has been introduced. The way it influences national
educational spaces has been theoreticized by using a discursive institu-
tionalism approach. The reception of neoliberal discourse in Slovenia as a
post-socialist EU member state has been explained by providing empirical
examples and their theoretical underpinnings.
Analysed data reveals the relative openness of Slovenia towards the
EU (neoliberal) educational discourse. This have been explained by inter-
relation of various factors, including a) the design of EU neoliberal edu-
cational governance as governance of goals, comparisons, problems/cri-
sis; b) strong communicative and persuasive discourse (e.g. accountability,
inevitability) used by European Commission for steering member states
towards commonly agreed goals (coordinative discourse); c) the desire of
Slovenia as new post-socialist state to comply with Western norms and d)
national institutional context and specific institutional settings (as exter-
nal factors which created a receptive environment for new neoliberal ide-
as). As such, this article contributes a small but, in light of the lack of em-
pirical studies in the field, important understanding of the role neoliberal
120
