School Privatisation: A Review and Critique

Abstract

While the marketisation of education has been the subject of considerable attention and often heated debate within the policy arena in New Zealand (Lauder et al., 1994) the issue of school privatisation has received relatively little attention. Undoubtedly at least part of the reason for this is that the proportion of pupils enrolled in private schools (currently 4%) remains small by international standards. However recent policy developments and advocacy of greater school privatisation by a variety of organisations foreshadow considerable pressures for further expansion of the private sector. A description and analysis of this trend and responses to it form the main focus of the paper.