Page 15 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 1-2: The Language of Neoliberal Education, ed. Mitja Sardoč
P. 15
v. d’agnese ■ concealment and advertising: unraveling ...
political, social and educational arena. (Hursh and Henderson, 2011:
p. 176)
c) A set of educational policies delivered both at a supra-national and
national level that establishes what, when, how and even why one
should learn. Such a control over schooling is accomplished through
the allocation of substantial financial resources, which steer both
the macro and the micromanagement of schooling and education
(Apple, 2000; Ball, 2009; Ball and Olmedo, 2013; Biesta, 2004;
Marginson, 2006).
However, it is my argument that neoliberalism doesn’t only act at a
political level, and by means of economic penetration. It is my contention
that, when analyzing the neoliberal framework for education, we have to
also analyze its linguistic level, and the widespread rhetoric that guides
the representations of education and schooling we address (Alexander,
2011). Without such an analysis we run the risk to not capture the pow-
er of fascination and the pull neoliberalism exerts. Neoliberalism, in fact,
also acts by means of a fascinating rhetoric and language, one in which
“better jobs for better lives” (OECD, 2018a) are promised, and a “new vo-
cabulary of performance” (Ball, 2003: p.218) reshapes teachers’ and stu-
dents’ aims and purposes. When reading publications or documents de-
livered by some of the major educational agencies worldwide, we may note
that a strong emphasis is placed on concepts such as “student achievement
and competitiveness” (U.S Department of Education, 2018), and on “what
is required to succeed” (Schleicher, 2016a) in today’s complex world.
Then, it is important to note that neoliberalism’s power of penetra-
tion also lies in its rhetoric and ubiquity. Neoliberal language spans from
the normative frameworks through which financial resources are deliv-
ered to brochures presenting specific assessment tools; it informs both the
political acts delivered by nation states and videos aimed at promoting ed-
ucational equipments. We find neoliberal logic and language in a num-
ber of documents from some major educational institutions and agencies
worldwide—e.g., U.S Department of Education, European Commission,
Australian Department for Education and Training—as well as in private
schools’ advertisment.
Given these premises, in my paper I wish to unravel such a rhetorical
aspect of neoliberal educational agenda, which is at the heart of the suc-
cess and dissemination of educational neoliberalism. Given the diffusion
and ubiquity of neoliberal rhetoric, in my paper I shall restrict my analy-
sis to one of such examples, thus focusing my attention on one of the ed-
ucational agencies involved in such a protean movement, namely, OECD.
13
political, social and educational arena. (Hursh and Henderson, 2011:
p. 176)
c) A set of educational policies delivered both at a supra-national and
national level that establishes what, when, how and even why one
should learn. Such a control over schooling is accomplished through
the allocation of substantial financial resources, which steer both
the macro and the micromanagement of schooling and education
(Apple, 2000; Ball, 2009; Ball and Olmedo, 2013; Biesta, 2004;
Marginson, 2006).
However, it is my argument that neoliberalism doesn’t only act at a
political level, and by means of economic penetration. It is my contention
that, when analyzing the neoliberal framework for education, we have to
also analyze its linguistic level, and the widespread rhetoric that guides
the representations of education and schooling we address (Alexander,
2011). Without such an analysis we run the risk to not capture the pow-
er of fascination and the pull neoliberalism exerts. Neoliberalism, in fact,
also acts by means of a fascinating rhetoric and language, one in which
“better jobs for better lives” (OECD, 2018a) are promised, and a “new vo-
cabulary of performance” (Ball, 2003: p.218) reshapes teachers’ and stu-
dents’ aims and purposes. When reading publications or documents de-
livered by some of the major educational agencies worldwide, we may note
that a strong emphasis is placed on concepts such as “student achievement
and competitiveness” (U.S Department of Education, 2018), and on “what
is required to succeed” (Schleicher, 2016a) in today’s complex world.
Then, it is important to note that neoliberalism’s power of penetra-
tion also lies in its rhetoric and ubiquity. Neoliberal language spans from
the normative frameworks through which financial resources are deliv-
ered to brochures presenting specific assessment tools; it informs both the
political acts delivered by nation states and videos aimed at promoting ed-
ucational equipments. We find neoliberal logic and language in a num-
ber of documents from some major educational institutions and agencies
worldwide—e.g., U.S Department of Education, European Commission,
Australian Department for Education and Training—as well as in private
schools’ advertisment.
Given these premises, in my paper I wish to unravel such a rhetorical
aspect of neoliberal educational agenda, which is at the heart of the suc-
cess and dissemination of educational neoliberalism. Given the diffusion
and ubiquity of neoliberal rhetoric, in my paper I shall restrict my analy-
sis to one of such examples, thus focusing my attention on one of the ed-
ucational agencies involved in such a protean movement, namely, OECD.
13
