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ERIC Number: EJ1431721
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0963-8253
EISSN: N/A
The Neoliberal Capitalist Assault on Comprehensive Education: Ensuring the Production of Labour Power and Combating the Threat of 'Over-Education'
Stephen Beresford; Alpesh Maisuria
FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, v66 n2 p131-139 2024
In this article, we posit a Marxist critique of the way that neoliberal capitalism has thwarted the possibility of comprehensive education. We begin with an explanation of the unique productive capacity of human labour, and the centrality of labour power for capitalism. We go on to show the importance of the education system for continually renewing the conditions and supply of labour power for contributing to the reproduction of the capitalist social order. This provides the basis to argue for the efficacy of the concept of 'over-education' to demonstrate how comprehensive education is inherently an anathema to the logic of capitalism and the interests of its ruling class. The final section expresses comprehensive education as a moment of assault to maintain the status quo. Against this assault, we promulgate the necessity for comprehensive education and provoke consideration of this possibility following an incoming Labour government at the next general election, however unlikely this seems given the alignment of the Labour Party with capitalist interests after the 1980s. Irrespective of the result of politics, rekindling of the comprehensive ideal will come from workingclass collectives, and the struggle for socialist transformation, both within and without the state. It is only through this that the comprehensive ideal becomes feasible in reality.
Lawrence Wishart. Central Books Building, Freshwater Road, Chadwell Heath, London RM8 1RX, UK. Tel: 44-20-8597-0090; e-mail: forum@lwbooks.co.uk; Web site: https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/forum
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A