The IBE and OECD’s educational initiatives in the 1960s: Tensions and trajectories for 21st century global governance in education

• In Event: Not just the usual suspects: 100 years of UNESCO IBE's shaping global governance of education (Part I)

Proposal

This paper explores the 1960s as a pivotal decade in shaping the global education governance architecture, drawing on primary sources from the archives of the International Bureau of Education (IBE) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as existing research. The study examines the annual International Conferences on Public Education, organized jointly by UNESCO and the IBE, which by 1962 had begun to include intergovernmental organizations such as the Arab League, the Council of Europe, the Ibero-American Bureau of Education, and the OECD. These conferences were critical in fostering collaboration and dialogue among global actors in education, but they also served as spaces of negotiation, struggles and tensions.

The 1960s witnessed increasing tensions between the IBE's interdisciplinary and universalistic ideals, and external pressures that culminated in its integration into UNESCO in 1969. At the same time, the OECD began positioning education as a central pillar of its mission, with growing universalist aspirations and interdisciplinary approaches. The 1960s, therefore, represent both a period of continuity and rupture, as nascent tools, methodologies, and technologies—such as systems theory and educational indicators—were introduced, leading ultimately to a reconfiguration of international organizations and a significant impact on the governance of global education.

Guided by sociological frameworks that examine the role of knowledge and policy brokers, this paper investigates how these actors influenced the emergence of educational technologies, establishing the groundwork for the contemporary metrology of education. This metrology, characterized by connectivity, comparability, and the use of universal indicators and data, has become central to global education governance today.

The research is informed by a thorough analysis of archival materials and leverages a mix of historical and sociological methodologies to ensure rigorous data collection and analysis. These methods allow for a deeper understanding of the formative role that 1960s education initiatives played in shaping the current global governance structures. The paper’s contribution lies in its original analysis of the tensions and intersections between key global actors in education during this period, offering new insights into the forces that have shaped 21st-century educational governance. By revealing the roots of contemporary challenges in global education policy, the study highlights the enduring relevance of the 1960s as a formative decade and provides critical lessons for our understanding of current and future governance frameworks.

Author

• Christian Ydesen, University of Zürich