Between 2003 and 2016, the percentage of undergraduates taking at least one course online nearly tripled, increasing from 15.6 to 43.1. Initially, that enrollment was concentrated in the proprietary, or for-profit, higher education sector. In response, and to make up for declining numbers of "traditional" college students and the…

This article focuses on the relation between new public management (NPM) reforms and changing patterns of industrial relations (IRs) and social dialogue in the Italian education system. Drawing on data from the research project 'Social dialogue and industrial relations in education: The challenges of multi-level governance and privatisation in…

This paper provides a critical analysis of the edu-businesses currently working in partnership with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to deliver the Commonwealth government policy initiative of the National Assessment Program--Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). These emerging public--private partnerships (PPPs) exemplify…

The privatisation of state education in a variety of ways has introduced a range of risks to school governance and management which have not previously existed in the public service. State-funded education is in danger of losing its standing on the moral high ground as a public good delivered almost exclusively by individuals committed to ethics…

This paper explores some particular aspects of the privatisation of public sector education, mapping and analysing the participation of education businesses in a whole range of public sector education services both in the UK and overseas. It addresses some of the types of privatisation(s) which are taking place "of", "in" and…

This paper explores the rising presence of transnational corporations (TNCs) in education and their mobilisation of global corporate social discourses to legitimise their private authority in education. The rising presence of TNCs is explored in the paper in two parts. First, through a taxonomy of global corporate social engagement (GCSE)…

The for-profit management of public schools by for-profit corporations continues to be a controversial innovation. Proponents argue for-profit schools will result in educational improvement by harnessing the profit seeking motive of the marketplace. Competition, they maintain, forces companies to earn their profits by reducing administrative…

Much of the literature on charter schools treats them as an undifferentiated mass. Here we present and test a typology of charter schools that is grounded in the norms, traditions, and perspectives of the founding organization or organizers. We suggest that there are two broad categories of charter founders--those who are more mission oriented and…

This paper reports the findings from an Internet survey of 2,318 school superintendents across the U.S. The superintendents were asked about their experiences with, views of, and attitudes toward privatization of education services. The results of the survey suggested four conclusions. First, private contracts for a range of educational services…

Discusses the rise of entrepreneurialism in Australian universities as one response to globalization. Examines its positive and negative effects upon educational standards, academic morale, and structure of academic work. Highlights areas of fundamental change in the sector, including changes in university missions and culture and the uneven…

Although making profits from public education is not new, what is new is the recent development of corporate interest in taking over the organization and management of public education specifically for profit-making purposes. The study reported in this paper focuses on the intrusion of "big business" into an educational arena that…

The 14 papers in this collection examine how a globalizing political economy affects the way universities are governed, discussing practices such as managerialism, accountability, and privatization which represent a shift toward business values and a market agenda. Part 1 gives a theoretical overview of the globalization agenda. Part 2 gives three…