Page 93 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 1-2: The Language of Neoliberal Education, ed. Mitja Sardoč
P. 93
leyva ■ unpacking the usage and implications of neoliberal language ...
Russell Group Neoliberal Traditional Total Code Count
Member University University
Discourses Discourses 31.00
University of Southampton (Total Score) (Total Score) (100%)
University College London 76.00
University of Warwick 26.00 5.00 (100%)
University of York (83.9%) (16.2%) 29.00
64.00 12.00 (100%)
(84.3%) (15.8%) 24.00
19.00 10.00 (100%)
(65.6%) (34.5%)
17.00 7.00
(70.9%) (29.2%)
Regarding RQ2, the results indicate that the majority of the Russell
Group is basically disavowing their responsibility to preserve higher ed-
ucation’s historically humanist and enlightenment principles and objec-
tives. This is especially the case for those to do with the safeguarding and
promotion of academic teaching freedom and pure scientific research.
Oxford and Imperial College London are notable and relative exceptions
to this trend. These are world-renowned universities with considerable en-
dowments and income streams, and can thus for now afford to not ful-
ly adopt the neoliberal model. So despite their status, it is unlikely that
the rest of the consortium will be following their example any time soon.
However, the King’s College London (KCL) statements had a quite big-
ger percentage of traditional discourses (63.5%) than neoliberal discours-
es (36.%). This hints to the possibility that at least on paper anyway, KCL
has a stronger commitment to encouraging student intellectual curiosi-
ty, and helping students to develop into ethical and conscientious global
citizens) than to promoting employability and value for money practices.
Additionally, the Exeter university statements had a fairly large number
of instances of traditional discourses. KCL and Exeter are another pair
of prestigious universities with healthy financial resources and can, there-
fore, also possibly afford a way to balance staying fiscally solvent and inter-
nationally competitive with the upholding of traditional university ideals.
Whether they actually do so, however, remains to be seen.
Discussion
Over the past thirty years in many Western countries, official policy dis-
course about public spending in education has been presented as a threat
to national competitiveness (Cribb & Gewirtz, 2013; Newfield, 2018). To
address this supposed threat, neoliberal education policies such as the
ones described earlier have been steadily implemented. This has led to
drastic cuts in government funding for higher education and consequent
91
Russell Group Neoliberal Traditional Total Code Count
Member University University
Discourses Discourses 31.00
University of Southampton (Total Score) (Total Score) (100%)
University College London 76.00
University of Warwick 26.00 5.00 (100%)
University of York (83.9%) (16.2%) 29.00
64.00 12.00 (100%)
(84.3%) (15.8%) 24.00
19.00 10.00 (100%)
(65.6%) (34.5%)
17.00 7.00
(70.9%) (29.2%)
Regarding RQ2, the results indicate that the majority of the Russell
Group is basically disavowing their responsibility to preserve higher ed-
ucation’s historically humanist and enlightenment principles and objec-
tives. This is especially the case for those to do with the safeguarding and
promotion of academic teaching freedom and pure scientific research.
Oxford and Imperial College London are notable and relative exceptions
to this trend. These are world-renowned universities with considerable en-
dowments and income streams, and can thus for now afford to not ful-
ly adopt the neoliberal model. So despite their status, it is unlikely that
the rest of the consortium will be following their example any time soon.
However, the King’s College London (KCL) statements had a quite big-
ger percentage of traditional discourses (63.5%) than neoliberal discours-
es (36.%). This hints to the possibility that at least on paper anyway, KCL
has a stronger commitment to encouraging student intellectual curiosi-
ty, and helping students to develop into ethical and conscientious global
citizens) than to promoting employability and value for money practices.
Additionally, the Exeter university statements had a fairly large number
of instances of traditional discourses. KCL and Exeter are another pair
of prestigious universities with healthy financial resources and can, there-
fore, also possibly afford a way to balance staying fiscally solvent and inter-
nationally competitive with the upholding of traditional university ideals.
Whether they actually do so, however, remains to be seen.
Discussion
Over the past thirty years in many Western countries, official policy dis-
course about public spending in education has been presented as a threat
to national competitiveness (Cribb & Gewirtz, 2013; Newfield, 2018). To
address this supposed threat, neoliberal education policies such as the
ones described earlier have been steadily implemented. This has led to
drastic cuts in government funding for higher education and consequent
91
