Monday, January 13, 2014

What’s At Stake in Privatizing Education

Click here to access article by Ann Robertson and Bill Leumer from Workers Action

Although posted on a website that makes the pretentious statement that it is "A Revolutionary Socialist Organization", this is essentially a liberal take on the issue of the privatization of education going on now in the US. Omitted is any mention of how the issue of privatization of schooling has anything to with capitalism--it all has to do with "corporate culture" as if this were a thing separate from the rest of society.

The takeover by the ruling class, whose power is based on private ownership of the economy, of education is another indication of its hyped-up arrogance in imposing their rule over the 99 Percent. What is happening is nothing short of a revolution in education that is occurring: the transformation of anything resembling education into training for job skills needed by corporations, the driving engine of capitalist exploitation and power. 

The 99 Percent will now be forced to compete for this training in order to get an admission ticket to the privately owned economy and a reasonable standard of living. The rest will be added to the growing section of marginal people living off of low paid service jobs--if they are lucky, and if not, living under bridges. The remaining public schools must compete for funding, and teachers must compete for jobs; both must compete based on test scores designed to measure skill sets needed by corporations.