Cross Roads, Intersections, Departure Points: Locating Public and Private Projects in New Education Governance Partnerships Susan Robertson, University of Bristol, UK Keynote Address to the GCES Intersections of the Public and Private in the GCC, 16 th March, 2011

Outline Introduction Education – A Complex Social, Cultural and Political ‘Cross Roads’ in Education –Mandates, Governance, Distinction Partnerships - A Discourse for all Seasons Underlying Logics as a Meta-Language Who gets what in the education-society contract?

Education – A Complex Social, Cultural and Political Education is a unique and complex activity A fundamental human right Shapes trajectories, locations, outcomes Part of the social contract Changes in governance of the sector require strong questions and strong answers

‘ Cross Roads’ in Education – Mandates, Governance, Distinction Mandates for education – creating knowledge economies, services sectors and access for all New governance challenges – the retreat of the state? New forms of ‘distinction’

Partnerships - A Discourse for all Seasons Exit ‘privatisation; enter ‘partnership’ talk Shifts in dominant ideology The problem of trust and transaction costs in ‘contracting’ The ‘good governance’ and global turns Three partnership examples – the World Bank, IFC and UNESCO

Underlying Logics as a Meta- Language for Multiple Grammars Partnerships - a semantic umbrella Issues of power and interest Underlying logics to reveal meta- language – from ‘management reforms’ to mimic the market to ‘cooperation and learning’

Who gets what? The need for a normative framework The need for an informed ‘middle ground’ Beyond efficiencies to equity Public and private intersections that make a social difference!

Thankyou