Re-thinking education as a welfare right

Peters, M.A. (2002) Re-thinking education as a welfare right. School Field, XIII(5), pp. 79-96.

Abstract

Education in the late modern era was shaped by the ideals of social welfare and egalitarian democracy and, in return, it was to contribute to the maintenance of the welfare state and social integration. Since the introduction of changes to education under the neo-liberal paradigm, national systems have become increasingly consumer-driven, seriously eroding the notion of education as a welfare right, with the consequence that access and provision of education have become increasingly unequal. The end point of a pure neo-liberal approach to education policy is a fully consumer-driven model, where social or state welfare functions disappear completely. In contrast to a neo-liberal model of education policy it can be argued that today there is even more reason to regard education as a form of welfare; indeed, in a post-industrial society or in the emerging global knowledge/information economy, education becomes the single most important means for easing the transition from dependency on state welfare to economic and social self-responsibility. This paper comprises two main sections. First, a discussion of the nature of rights aimed at providing a sketch of a non-foundationalist account that argues that a theory of human rights does not require or depend upon a theory of human nature or an essentialist or foundational account of what it is to be human; and, second, an argument for considering education as a (non-foundationalist) welfare right within the changed policy context of the so-called 'knowledge economy'.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Peters, Prof Michael
• Authors: Peters, M.A.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; L Education > LC Special aspects of education
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: School Field
• ISSN: 1581-6044