Education Privatization in Latin America and the Caribbean: trends and risks to public school systems

• In Event: The rise of education privatization across the globe: comparative perspectives of global and Latin American trends with emphasis in Argentina and Brazil

Proposal

The observation of different forms of privatization in education in Latin America and the Caribbean raises concerns about its impact in the realization of education as a universal human right. In this article, we explore some expressions of the phenomenon, particularly drawing on the report Privatization in Education trends in Latin America and the Caribbean, published by the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE, 2014). Considering the literature and legislative analysis, data and interviews with education activists, the growth of this phenomenon was observed in a variety of modalities of endogenous and exogenous privatization (Ball e Youdell, 2007) as well as that of profit making and the commodification of education. Regarding how this phenomenon is reflected in legislations of Latin American countries, we observe that many allow or promote the transfer of public resources and responsibility to the private sector, foster charter schemes or promote tax exemptions. A phenomenon that was identified was the growing influence of the private sector in the debate and definition of education public policies through a variety of manners, excluding citizens and, more specifically, education actors from decision making processes. In fact, private actors that work in the form of networks was highlighted, indicating the presence of national business education networks across Latin America, as well as the existence of a regional network. Furthermore, the mainstream media was also identified as a growing actor that influences public imaginary and debate, propagating the idea that public education is necessarily worst that private education. Mainstream media, in fact, is often also part of the business education network, articulating political, economic and mediatic powers. As a result, we observed the weakening of public educational systems, in particular of the working conditions of teachers, of the recognition of students as legitimate interlocutors, of democratic governance processes and of adequate public financing for public education.

References:
BALL, S.; YODELL, D. Privatización encubierta en la educación pública, Internacional de la Educación. Bruselas, 2007. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 9 de dez. de 2015.
CAMPANHA LATINO-AMERICANA PELO DIREITO À EDUCAÇÃO (CLADE). Mapeo sobre Tendencias de la Privatización de la Educación en América Latina y el Caribe. São Paulo: CLADE, 2014.
MARTINS, E.M. Movimento “todos pela educação”: um projeto de nação para a educação brasileira. 2013. Dissertação (mestrado). Faculdade de Educação. Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas.
PORTA, E. En la prensa hegemónica, la educación aparece vinculada a la escuela pública como caos y a la escuela privada como calidad. Entrevista ao portal Contracorriente. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 9 dez. 2015

Authors

• Camilla Croso, Latina American Campaign for the Right to Education

• Giovanna Modé Magalhães, Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE)