Diffusing "De-Standardization" Reforms Across Educational Systems in LMICs: The Case of the World Bank, 1965–2020

• In Event: Longitudinal Studies SIG Paper Session

Abstract

The education sector in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has experienced a surge of neoliberal reforms over the past few decades. These reforms have often included attempts to ‘decrease standardisation’ or ‘de-standardise’ educational responsibilities and policies to local governments and schools. We investigate World Bank’s (WB) efforts to de-standardise educational systems in 99 historical and present LMICs. We find that about 63 percent of WB projects in primary and secondary education have focused on doing so. The growth of sub-national level de-standardisation has slowed down while it is still on the rise at the school level. We argue this could be led by a global emphasis on school-based intervention and the priority to spread democratic values in micro-social units.

Author

• Mobarak Hossain, University of Oxford - Nuffield College