What's England got to do with it?: British underestimation of international initiatives in education policy.

In: Transformation of education policy., S. 132-152

Abstract

In this chapter the authors show that England [...] introduced reforms earlier than other countries, and IO governance does not have a major impact on the English system. However, policymakers in England also underestimated the pressure of these international processes and now have to deal with the question of conforming to them closely or not. [...] To explore the question of IO governance in English education, the authors will proceed as follows. First, they provide a brief overview of education policy in England and particularly focus on veto players and national guiding principles of education. After outlining the participation in international initiatives, namely the PISA Study and the Bologna Process, the author will discuss the main reforms in secondary and higher education from 1980 onward. In a third step, they assess the influence of IOs on education policymaking in England by accounting for transformation capacities there as mediators of change. Finally, the empirical findings are summarized and discussed referring to the theoretical framework of this volume. [...] The qualitative data originates from 5 semi-standardized interviews the authors conducted with education stakeholders and policymakers in England. (DIPF/Orig.).