Neoliberalism has been widely criticised because of its role in prioritising ‘free markets’ as the optimum way of solving problems and organising society. In the field of education, this leads to an emphasis on the knowledge economy that can reduce both persons and education to economic actors and be detrimental to wider social and ethical…
The Phonics Screening Check involves children of about six years old in England being tested on their ability to read out loud 40 words, half of which are not real words at all. The Government recently repeated its commitment to the test in England despite the lack of supportive evidence and despite the irony that the Minister…
A key rationale for carrying out international comparative surveys of skills such as PISA is that the findings can positively influence policy and therefore educational outcomes. For example the OECD in 2013 had this to say about the hopes for its new survey of adult skills (PIAAC): “we are now able to base policies for…