Education Leitmotifs of International Organizations

• In Event: Discourses of International Organizations in Education – What Do They Promote, When and How

Proposal

Preschool and school education are central instruments of preventative social policy in the modern welfare state and are regarded as necessary conditions for the propagation of social rights. Additionally, state education fulfils an important function as the mediator of cultural traditions and national history. In this paper we examine International Organizations (IOs) which work in the educational sector and analyze the ideas on education they embrace. IOs compile and spread educational concepts and educational standards not only to their member countries but also across the globe. But which IOs are out there working in the field of education policy, and what education ideas are they propagating? The role of IOs in the diffusion of ideas is still rarely examined. Although various single studies exist, we know little about the universe of education IOs as a whole. How is the world of education IOs constituted? Which IOs have remained overlooked in academic research so far? And to what extent do IOs in the educational area differ in regard to the concepts they spread? We identified 20 IOs to be decisive actors in the educational sector. We argue that the ideas they hold about education differ considerably between types of IOs and vary over time.

Authors

• Kerstin Martens, University of Bremen

• Dennis Niemann, University of Bremen