"Who" Is the Student? A Critical Analysis of Neoliberal Education Reform Legislation

• In Event: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You: Uncovering/Dissecting Narratives of Inequality

Abstract

Neoliberal reforms in education have been sweeping the globe, undermining education as a public good, and diminishing its contributions to democratic life. Using poststructural perspectives, this paper provides a critical analysis of a proposed legislative Bill of the province of Manitoba, Canada, as it relates to the construction of the “student”. Contrary to reconceptualist understandings of the student subject, our findings reveal that the proposed education Bill reflects neoliberal and modernist ideals, constructing the student as universal, at-risk, and in need of control. By revealing the oppressive effects of neoliberal discourses on students’ subjectivities, this paper aims to inform educators, education researchers, and policy makers in the pursuit of more equitable educational policies and systems.

Authors

• Melanie D. Janzen, University of Manitoba

• Rebeca Heringer, University of Manitoba