- Mar 8, 2026
- Posted by:
- Category: Abstract of 10th-iaceducation
Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2026
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Global Education, Humane or Mercantilist? A Critical Study of Privatization, Marxism and Taylorism
María Rodríguez Muñoz
ABSTRACT:
Public education is currently at a decisive moment, as global policies tend to define it in ways that differ greatly from its true nature. On the eve of the 21st century, concerns had already been raised about what this century would bring for public education (Gentili, 2000). The involvement of private entities has led the educational sphere toward the production of a market-oriented education. Although the methods of privatizing education vary across countries due to cultural and historical factors (Verger et al., 2016), there is a widespread trend of understanding education as a commodity, focused on efficiency, productivity, accountability, and the standardization of learning outcomes (Stake, 2006). These mechanisms evoke both the social critique of Marxism and the technical activism of Taylorism. This study explores the relationship between educational privatization and the ideals of Taylor and Marx in education. Establishing this connection is of significant value within the context of educational globalization (Edwards et al., 2024). Methodologically, a scoping review is conducted to systematize the existing literature on these topics, using databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. As a result, the study affirms that Marx’s critique, that systems reproduce inequality, is increasingly reflected in how privatization is reshaping education, sidelining critical pedagogy (Giroux, 2013; McLaren, 2015). At the same time, a capitalist model of education is promoted, one that encourages standardized assessment, echoing Taylor’s advocacy for standardized schemes as a means to improve efficiency and performance (Apple, 1997).
Keywords: Education Industry; Efficiency; Marx; Private Sector; Taylor