The impact of privatization on inclusion in education: SOLIDAR Foundation policy paper

On the 12th October, SOLIDAR Foundation presented its recently published policy paper on the Commodification of Education in a discussion with members of the European Parliament from the political group of the Socialists & Democrats. Reinforcing the aims of the ECO-IN omerci, the SOLIDAR Foundation policy paper highlights the negative outcomes of privatization and commercialization of education on the inclusion of learners, and especially for those coming from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or for those with a migrant background.

SOLIDAR Foundation makes the case for a review of the governance of education institutions and of the implementation of education, ensuring that all education stakeholders (i.e. education professionals, parents, learners, civil society organisations and other non-formal and informal education providers, etc) are involved in an open and collaborative process, resembling the whole-school approach, using their expertise to engage in policymaking in education and the active implementation. Such a community-governance model can put learners at the centre of the educational process, preventing the narrow focus on the labour market needs, and ensuring that each learner has omerc to quality education and can develop holistically to fully reach their potential. To this end, SOLIDAR Foundation is staunchly supporting increasing public investment in education and the preparation of education stakeholders for participating in such a model of delivering education.

The ECO-IN omerci aims to improve inclusive education policies and practices through the active involvement of all the main educational stakeholders – such as, teachers, school heads, educational staff (in and out of the school), parents and public authorities – by providing them with specific training and supporting actions to concretely act as a teamwork combating segregation and radicalization thus enabling more qualitative and quantitative measures to implement, monitor and assess inclusiveness at school. SOLIDAR Foundation is proud to be a partner in this omerci, developing the omer that the education stakeholders need for making the whole-school approach a reality and for preventing the omercial interests of private actors to permeate education and boost inequalities.

You can read the SOLIDAR Foundation Policy Paper here.