Educational reform and the public: Two case studies of Poland and Saskatchewan (Canada)

Autor/inn/en	Kaproń, Danuta; Stephan, Werner
Titel	Educational reform and the public: Two case studies of Poland and Saskatchewan (Canada)
Quelle	In: International review of education, (1991) 3, S.319-334Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0020-8566
DOI	10.1007/BF00619204
Schlagwörter	Labour Market; Public Interest; Public Awareness; Political Culture; Educational Reform
Abstract	Abstract The involvement of the public in educational reform processes in modern democratic societies primarily serves the purpose of politically legitimizing the reform agenda. This study examines the rationales implicitly or explicitly submitted to the public to explain why educational reforms in the two countries should be endorsed. Although differences in the political culture caution against a hasty comparison of the two case studies, a number of politico-economic similarities allow for a valid juxtaposition. In Poland the context of socio-political and economic renewal prompted the reformers to emphasize the human-capital model which heightened public awareness and participation in the debate surrounding the reform. Public involvement in Saskatchewan was negatively affected for mainly two reasons. First, the government evidently manipulated public input by various means and thereby appears to have predetermined the outcome. Second, the rationale for the reform, based on a free-market model, tightened the linkage between the needs of the labour market and the mandate of the schools. As a result, public interest and participation was greatly diminished.
Erfasst von	OLC
Update	2023/2/05